Radeon HD 5870 vs Radeon RX Vega 11

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 Vega 11 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 Vega 11: 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

✅60.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon RX Vega 11 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 5870 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
167.8% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 14.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌437.1% higher power demand at 188W vs 35W.

Radeon RX Vega 11

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 157.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.1 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 188W, a 153W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with Unknown 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 60.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.1% in PassMark G3D (2,180 vs 2,094), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 5870 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX Vega 11 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 157.2% (14.1 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon RX Vega 11 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 5870 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 5870 vs Radeon RX Vega 11 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 Vega 11

The Radeon RX Vega 11 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 10 2018. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1251 MHz. It has 704 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 35W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,094 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5870 scores 2,180 and the Radeon RX Vega 11 reaches 2,094 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5870 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 704 (Radeon RX Vega 11). Raw compute: 2.72 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5870) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 11).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
G3D Mark Score	2,180+4%	2,094
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 5.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1600+127%	704
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.72 TFLOPS+54%	1.761 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	80+82%	44
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5870 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega 11 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 5870 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 System on the Radeon RX Vega 11.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	0 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 11). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
DirectX	11.2	12 (12_1)+7%
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX Vega 11). Decoder: UVD 2.2 vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 5870) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon RX Vega 11).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
Encoder	UVD 2.2	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 2.2	UVD 7.0
Codecs	H.264	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5870 draws 188W versus the Radeon RX Vega 11's 35W — a 137.2% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 11 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5870) vs 300W (Radeon RX Vega 11). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 280mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
TDP	188W	35W-81%
Recommended PSU	500W	300W-40%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	None
Length	280mm	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	11.6	59.8+416%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 5870 came in at $399, while the Radeon RX Vega 11 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega 11 was 62.7% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (Radeon HD 5870) vs 14.1 (Radeon RX Vega 11) — the Radeon RX Vega 11 offers 156.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 11 (2018 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5870	Radeon RX Vega 11
MSRP	$399	$149-63%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	14.1+156%
Codename	Cypress	Raven
Release	September 23 2009	May 10 2018
Ranking	#663	#673

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