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 RX 560 (móvel) 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 RX 560 (móvel): 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

✅11.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
252.5% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 45.5 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌207.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 65W.

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 247.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 45.5 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Radeon HD 7870 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 560 (móvel) is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 65W instead of 200W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7870 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

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 11.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (4,568 vs 4,500), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 560 (móvel) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 7870 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 560 (móvel) makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 247.3% (45.5 vs 13.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 7870 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon RX 560 (móvel) 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 RX 560 (móvel)

The Radeon RX 560 (móvel) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 5 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1175 MHz to 1275 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,500 points. Launch price was $99.99.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870 scores 4,568 and the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) reaches 4,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 560 (móvel)). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870) vs 2.462 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 560 (móvel)).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon RX 560 (móvel)
G3D Mark Score	4,568+2%	4,500
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1280+25%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.56 TFLOPS+4%	2.462 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+25%	64
L1 Cache	320 KB+25%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 7870 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon RX 560 (móvel)
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 560 (móvel). L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 560 (móvel)) — the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon RX 560 (móvel)
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	153.6 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 560 (móvel)'s 65W — a 101.9% difference. The Radeon RX 560 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870) vs 350W (Radeon RX 560 (móvel)). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon RX 560 (móvel)
TDP	200W	65W-68%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	22.8	69.2+204%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7870 came in at $349, while the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon RX 560 (móvel) was 71.6% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 45.5 (Radeon RX 560 (móvel)) — the Radeon RX 560 (móvel) offers 247.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 560 (móvel) (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon RX 560 (móvel)
MSRP	$349	$99-72%
Performance per Dollar	13.1	45.5+247%
Codename	Pitcairn	Baffin
Release	March 5 2012	January 5 2017
Ranking	#460	#478

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