Radeon HD 5870 vs GeForce 945M

Radeon HD 5870

2009Core: 850 MHz

GeForce 945M

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 1020 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 5870

188

2,180

+3.4%

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB

GeForce 945M

2,109

0.0%

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 1080

TITAN V

About G3D Mark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce 945M

#30

Radeon 8050S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#31

Radeon RX 8050S

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

#90

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

257%

#92

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

233%

#93

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

233%

#97

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

212%

#98

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

210%

#100

GeForce 945M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $98

100%

#103

Radeon RX 460 (móvel)

MSRP: $99|Avg: $45

98%

#105

GeForce GTX 680M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

97%

#106

Radeon HD 7470M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $12

97%

#110

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Mobile

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

95%

#114

Radeon RX 470 (móvel)

MSRP: $179|Avg: $40

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce 945M is significantly newer (2015 vs 2009). The GeForce 945M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 5870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.4% higher G3D Mark score and 300% more VRAM (2 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 945M.

Insight	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+3.4%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+300%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (280mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 5870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $98), it costs 49% less, resulting in a 102.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+102.6%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($50)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($98)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon HD 5870 Benchmark Check

GeForce 945M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5870 and GeForce 945M

Radeon HD 5870

The Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 23 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 188W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,180 points. Launch price was $399.

GeForce 945M

The GeForce 945M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,109 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5870 scores 2,180 and the GeForce 945M reaches 2,109 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5870 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce 945M uses Maxwell, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 640 (GeForce 945M). Raw compute: 2.72 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5870) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 945M).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
G3D Mark Score	2,180+3%	2,109
Architecture	TeraScale 2	Maxwell
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1600+150%	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.72 TFLOPS+108%	1.306 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+100%	40
L1 Cache	160 KB	320 KB+100%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5870 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 945M has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 5870 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5870) vs 2 MB (GeForce 945M) — the GeForce 945M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	80 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
DirectX	11.2	12 (11_0)+7%
Max Displays	3+50%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945M). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs PureVideo HD (VP6). Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 5870) vs H.264,H.265,MPEG-2 (GeForce 945M).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
Encoder	UVD 2.2	NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	UVD 2.2	PureVideo HD (VP6)
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5870 draws 188W versus the GeForce 945M's 75W — a 85.9% difference. The GeForce 945M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5870) vs 350W (GeForce 945M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Legacy. Card length: 280mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	GeForce 945M
TDP	188W	75W-60%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Legacy
Length	280mm	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	11.6	28.1+142%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5870 costs 49% less ($48 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 43.6 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 21.5 (GeForce 945M) — the Radeon HD 5870 offers 102.8% better value. The GeForce 945M is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2009).