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 7870 vs Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 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 7870 vs Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280: 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 7870

2012

Why buy it

✅Measures 241mm instead of 278mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
25.1% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 17.1 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280

2012

Why buy it

✅17.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.1 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌15.4% longer card at 278mm vs 241mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 17.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.3% in PassMark G3D (4,765 vs 4,568), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 7870 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 HD 7950 / R9 280 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 cheaper on MSRP at $279 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 30.5% (17.1 vs 13.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7870 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7870

The Radeon HD 7870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,568 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 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: 4,765 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870 scores 4,568 and the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 reaches 4,765 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
G3D Mark Score	4,568	4,765+4%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1792+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.56 TFLOPS	2.867 TFLOPS+12%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	320 KB	448 KB+40%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7870 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 carries 3 GB. Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870) vs 240 GB/s (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) — a 56.3% advantage for the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 and 384-bit on the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 7870) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) — the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	3 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	153.6 GB/s	240 GB/s+56%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870) vs 12 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MVC (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 4.0	UVD 3.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280's 200W — a 0% difference. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 278mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
TDP	200W	200W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	241mm	278mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	22.8	23.8+4%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7870 came in at $349, while the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 launched at $279. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 was 20.1% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 17.1 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) — the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 offers 30.5% better value.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
MSRP	$349	$279-20%
Performance per Dollar	13.1	17.1+31%
Codename	Pitcairn	Tahiti
Release	March 5 2012	January 31 2012
Ranking	#460	#454

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