Radeon HD 7850M vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

AMD

Radeon HD 7850M

2012Core: 675 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 7850M vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon HD 7850M vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U 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 7850M vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U: 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 7850M

2012

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 166.7% higher power demand at 40W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

2020

Why buy it

  • 84.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 40W, a 25W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 84.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7850M instead at 1,373 vs 1,359, 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 7850M 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7850M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7850M vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 7850M

The Radeon HD 7850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,373 points.

AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,359 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7850M scores 1,373 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U reaches 1,359 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7850M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U uses Vega, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 7850M) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U).

FeatureRadeon HD 7850MRadeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
G3D Mark Score
1,373+1%
1,359
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Vega
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
640+25%
512
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 7850MRadeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
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 7850M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 7850M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD 7850M and System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U.

FeatureRadeon HD 7850MRadeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
System
System
Bus Width
System
System
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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7850M draws 40W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U's 15W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7850M) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 7850MRadeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
TDP
40W
15W-63%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
34.3
90.6+164%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U (2020 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 7850MRadeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
MSRP
$0
Codename
Heathrow
Vega
Release
April 24 2012
January 7 2020
Ranking
#787
#545

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