Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon RX 570X

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon RX 570X FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon RX 570X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon HD 5850

2009

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 570X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
76.9% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$169 MSRP

Radeon RX 570X

2018

Why buy it

✅26.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 74% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.4 vs 6.5 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2018 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 570X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 26.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 5850 instead at 1,955 vs 1,923, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 570X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 5850 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 570X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $130 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 74% (11.4 vs 6.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon RX 570X Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

Radeon RX 570X

The Radeon RX 570X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1168 MHz to 1244 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,923 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 and the Radeon RX 570X reaches 1,923 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5850 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX 570X uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 570X). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850) vs 5.095 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 570X).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon RX 570X
G3D Mark Score	1,955+2%	1,923
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1440	2048+42%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS	5.095 TFLOPS+144%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72	128+78%
L1 Cache	144 KB	512 KB+256%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 570X is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 5850 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon RX 570X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5850 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 570X carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 570X gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 5850 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 570X. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5850) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 570X) — the Radeon RX 570X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon RX 570X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	8 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151W versus the Radeon RX 570X's 120W — a 22.9% difference. The Radeon RX 570X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5850) vs 450W (Radeon RX 570X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon RX 570X
TDP	151W	120W-21%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	None
Length	—	241mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	12.9	16.0+24%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 5850 came in at $299, while the Radeon RX 570X launched at $169. On MSRP, Radeon RX 570X was 43.5% cheaper ($130 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.5 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 11.4 (Radeon RX 570X) — the Radeon RX 570X offers 75.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 570X (2018 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon RX 570X
MSRP	$299	$169-43%
Performance per Dollar	6.5	11.4+75%
Codename	Cypress	Polaris 20
Release	September 30 2009	April 11 2018
Ranking	#682	#693

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