Radeon HD 7870 XT vs GeForce GTX 660 Ti
Radeon HD 7870 XT
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GeForce GTX 660 Ti
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 7870 XT is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 660 Ti offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.2%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+50%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (267mm) | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GTX 660 Ti offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 660 Ti holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $270), it costs 94% less, resulting in a 1677.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+1677.9%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($270) | ✅More affordable ($15) |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7870 XT and GeForce GTX 660 Ti
Radeon HD 7870 XT
The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
The GeForce GTX 660 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 16 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 980 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,415 points. Launch price was $299.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 7870 XT scores 4,470 and the GeForce GTX 660 Ti reaches 4,415 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 XT is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 660 Ti uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 1,344 (GeForce GTX 660 Ti). Raw compute: 2.995 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 2.634 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 660 Ti). Boost clocks: 975 MHz vs 980 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 4,470+1% | 4,415 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Kepler |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1536+14% | 1344 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.995 TFLOPS+14% | 2.634 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 975 MHz | 980 MHz |
| ROPs | 32+33% | 24 |
| TMUs | 96 | 112+17% |
| L1 Cache | 384 KB+243% | 112 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+33% | 384 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 7870 XT comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 660 Ti has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 660 Ti offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 144.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 660 Ti) — a 33.1% advantage for the Radeon HD 7870 XT. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 660 Ti) — the Radeon HD 7870 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 3 GB+50% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s+33% | 144.2 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 256-bit+33% | 192-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+33% | 384 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 660 Ti). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (FL 11_0) |
| Vulkan | 1.2+9% | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6+7% | 4.3 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 660 Ti). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs PureVideo VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 660 Ti).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 1.0 | NVENC 1st gen |
| Decoder | UVD 3.2 | PureVideo VP5 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 7870 XT draws 185W versus the GeForce GTX 660 Ti's 150W — a 20.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 660 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 450W (GeForce GTX 660 Ti). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 97°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 185W | 150W-19% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 450W-10% |
| Power Connector | 2x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Length | 267mm | 241mm |
| Height | 111mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 80-18% | 97°C |
| Perf/Watt | 24.2 | 29.4+21% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 7870 XT launched at $270 MSRP and currently averages $270, while the GeForce GTX 660 Ti launched at $299 and now averages $15. The GeForce GTX 660 Ti costs 94.4% less ($255 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 16.6 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 294.3 (GeForce GTX 660 Ti) — the GeForce GTX 660 Ti offers 1672.9% better value.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7870 XT | GeForce GTX 660 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $270-10% | $299 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $270 | $15-94% |
| Performance per Dollar | 16.6 | 294.3+1673% |
| Codename | Tahiti | GK104 |
| Release | November 19 2012 | August 16 2012 |
| Ranking | #469 | #472 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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