Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon RX 560X (móvel)

AMD

Radeon HD 7870

2012Core: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 560X (móvel)

2018Core: 1275 MHzBoost: 1202 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon RX 560X (móvel) 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 7870 vs Radeon RX 560X (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 560X (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

  • 5.4% 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.
  • 534.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $349 MSRPvs$55 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 87.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).
  • 207.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 65W.

Radeon RX 560X (móvel)

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $294 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Delivers 566.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 87.3 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($55 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 560X (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.
  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

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 5.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 560X (móvel) instead at 4,800 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 RX 560X (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 2018 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 560X (móvel) makes the most sense to buy today. It is $294 cheaper on MSRP at $55 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 566.8% (87.3 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 560X (móvel) Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon RX 560X (móvel)

The Radeon RX 560X (móvel) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1275 MHz to 1202 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,800 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 7870 scores 4,568 versus the Radeon RX 560X (móvel)'s 4,800 — the Radeon RX 560X (móvel) leads by 5.1%. The Radeon HD 7870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX 560X (móvel) uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 560X (móvel)). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870) vs 2.611 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 560X (móvel)).

FeatureRadeon HD 7870Radeon RX 560X (móvel)
G3D Mark Score
4,568
4,800+5%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 4.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1280+25%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.56 TFLOPS
2.611 TFLOPS+2%
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 560X (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.

FeatureRadeon HD 7870Radeon RX 560X (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 bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870) vs 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 560X (móvel)) — a 37.1% advantage for the Radeon HD 7870. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 560X (móvel). L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 560X (móvel)) — the Radeon RX 560X (móvel) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 7870Radeon RX 560X (móvel)
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
153.6 GB/s+37%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

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

FeatureRadeon HD 7870Radeon RX 560X (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
73.8+224%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7870 came in at $349, while the Radeon RX 560X (móvel) launched at $55. On MSRP, Radeon RX 560X (móvel) was 84.2% cheaper ($294 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 87.3 (Radeon RX 560X (móvel)) — the Radeon RX 560X (móvel) offers 566.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 560X (móvel) (2018 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 7870Radeon RX 560X (móvel)
MSRP
$349
$55-84%
Performance per Dollar
13.1
87.3+566%
Codename
Pitcairn
Polaris 21
Release
March 5 2012
April 11 2018
Ranking
#460
#483

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