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 R9 370 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 R9 370: 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

✅2.1% 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.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
134.2% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 31.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 110W.

Radeon R9 370

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 142.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 31.7 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 110W instead of 200W, a 90W reduction.
✅Measures 221mm instead of 241mm, a 20mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 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 7870 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 370 instead at 4,722 vs 4,568, 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 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 R9 370 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 142.1% (31.7 vs 13.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 370 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 R9 370 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 R9 370

The Radeon R9 370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,722 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870 scores 4,568 and the Radeon R9 370 reaches 4,722 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 370 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 370). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870) vs 2.496 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 370).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
G3D Mark Score	4,568	4,722+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.56 TFLOPS+3%	2.496 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	320 KB	384 KB+20%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
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 R9 370 carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 370 gives you 100% 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 179 GB/s (Radeon R9 370) — a 16.5% advantage for the Radeon R9 370. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 370.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	153.6 GB/s	179 GB/s+17%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 370). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+100%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 370). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1,MVC (Radeon R9 370).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 4.0	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1,MVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 370's 110W — a 58.1% difference. The Radeon R9 370 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870) vs 450W (Radeon R9 370). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 221mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
TDP	200W	110W-45%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	241mm	221mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	22.8	42.9+88%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7870 came in at $349, while the Radeon R9 370 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon R9 370 was 57.3% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 31.7 (Radeon R9 370) — the Radeon R9 370 offers 142% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 370 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon R9 370
MSRP	$349	$149-57%
Performance per Dollar	13.1	31.7+142%
Codename	Pitcairn	Trinidad
Release	March 5 2012	May 5 2015
Ranking	#460	#456

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