Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon HD 4890

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. The Radeon HD 7870M is positioned at rank #122 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 7870M

#112

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

288%

#114

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

261%

#115

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

261%

#119

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

237%

#120

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

235%

#122

Radeon HD 7870M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#123

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

100%

#126

GeForce GT 550M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

99%

#131

GeForce GT 335M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 4890 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7870M.

Insight	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon HD 4890
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 4890 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

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.

Radeon HD 7870M Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 4890 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7870M and Radeon HD 4890

Radeon HD 7870M

The Radeon HD 7870M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,507 points.

Radeon HD 4890

The Radeon HD 4890 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,546 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870M scores 1,507 and the Radeon HD 4890 reaches 1,546 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 4890 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4890). Raw compute: 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4890).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon HD 4890
G3D Mark Score	1,507	1,546+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	TeraScale
Process Node	28 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	640	800+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.024 TFLOPS	1.36 TFLOPS+33%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40	40
L1 Cache	160 KB	160 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon HD 4890
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of video memory. Bus width: System vs 64-bit.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon HD 4890
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870M draws 45W versus the Radeon HD 4890's 190W — a 123.4% difference. The Radeon HD 7870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 4890). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.