Radeon HD 7540D vs Radeon R5 235

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 7540D vs Radeon R5 235 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 7540D vs Radeon R5 235: 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 7540D

2012

Why buy it

✅35.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
36.7% HIGHER MSRP
$67 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.9 vs 6.9 G3D/$ ($67 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).
❌566.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 30W.

Radeon R5 235

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $18 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $67 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.9 vs 4.9 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $67 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 30W instead of 200W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7540D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2016 hardware with 1 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 7540D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 235 instead at 336 vs 331, 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 HD 7540D is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 235 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $18 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $67, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 38.8% (6.9 vs 4.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 235 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7540D has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7540D vs Radeon R5 235 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7540D

The Radeon HD 7540D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 331 points. Launch price was $449.

Radeon R5 235

The Radeon R5 235 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 780 MHz to 1030 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 336 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7540D scores 331 and the Radeon R5 235 reaches 336 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7540D is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R5 235 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 7540D) vs 320 (Radeon R5 235). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7540D) vs 0.6592 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 235). Boost clocks: 1250 MHz vs 1030 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7540D	Radeon R5 235
G3D Mark Score	331	336+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792+460%	320
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS+335%	0.6592 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1250 MHz+21%	1030 MHz
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	112+460%	20
L1 Cache	448 KB+460%	80 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+500%	128 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7540D	Radeon R5 235
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 7540D has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 235 carries 1 GB. Radeon R5 235 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 7540D and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 235. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 7540D) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 235) — the Radeon HD 7540D has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7540D	Radeon R5 235
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+500%	128 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7540D draws 200W versus the Radeon R5 235's 30W — a 147.8% difference. The Radeon R5 235 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7540D) vs 350W (Radeon R5 235). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7540D	Radeon R5 235
TDP	200W	30W-85%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	None	PCIe-powered
Length	—	168mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	1
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	1.7	11.2+559%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7540D came in at $67, while the Radeon R5 235 launched at $49. On MSRP, Radeon R5 235 was 26.9% cheaper ($18 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.9 (Radeon HD 7540D) vs 6.9 (Radeon R5 235) — the Radeon R5 235 offers 40.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 235 (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7540D	Radeon R5 235
MSRP	$67	$49-27%
Performance per Dollar	4.9	6.9+41%
Codename	Tahiti	Jet
Release	January 31 2012	May 15 2016
Ranking	#454	#922

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