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 5870 vs Radeon RX 540 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 5870 vs Radeon RX 540: 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 5870

2009

Why buy it

✅67.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 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.
❌
303% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Radeon RX 540

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 294.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Radeon HD 5870 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 540 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 5870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 67.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (2,180 vs 2,134), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 540 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 5870 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2017 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 540 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $300 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 294.5% (21.6 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 5870 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 5870 vs Radeon RX 540 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 540

The Radeon RX 540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 11 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1124 MHz to 1219 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,134 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5870 scores 2,180 and the Radeon RX 540 reaches 2,134 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5870 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX 540 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 512 (Radeon RX 540). Raw compute: 2.72 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5870) vs 1.248 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 540).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
G3D Mark Score	2,180+2%	2,134
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1600+213%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.72 TFLOPS+118%	1.248 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+150%	32
L1 Cache	160 KB+25%	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 540 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 5870 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
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 5870 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 540 carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 540 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5870 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 540.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	80 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 12_0 (Radeon RX 540). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
DirectX	11.2	12_0+7%
Max Displays	3	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 540). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs UVD 6.3.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
Encoder	UVD 2.2	VCE 3.4
Decoder	UVD 2.2	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5870 draws 188W versus the Radeon RX 540's 50W — a 116% difference. The Radeon RX 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5870) vs 350W (Radeon RX 540). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 280mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
TDP	188W	50W-73%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	280mm	1mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Perf/Watt	11.6	42.7+268%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 5870 came in at $399, while the Radeon RX 540 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon RX 540 was 75.2% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 21.6 (Radeon RX 540) — the Radeon RX 540 offers 292.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 540 (2017 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX 540
MSRP	$399	$99-75%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	21.6+293%
Codename	Cypress	Lexa
Release	September 23 2009	November 11 2017
Ranking	#663	#602

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