Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon RX Vega 6

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 7870M vs Radeon RX Vega 6 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 7870M vs Radeon RX Vega 6: 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 7870M

2012

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon RX Vega 6 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 7870M is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 45W instead of 295W, a 250W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega 6 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon RX Vega 6

2017

Why buy it

✅120.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌555.6% higher power demand at 295W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX Vega 6 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 120.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7870M instead at 1,507 vs 1,492, 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 7870M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX Vega 6 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon RX Vega 6 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7870M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon RX Vega 6 Technical Specifications

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

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 RX Vega 6

The Radeon RX Vega 6 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 7 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1247 MHz to 1546 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 295W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,492 points. Launch price was $499.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870M scores 1,507 and the Radeon RX Vega 6 reaches 1,492 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX Vega 6 uses GCN 5.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 4,096 (Radeon RX Vega 6). Raw compute: 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 12.66 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 6).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon RX Vega 6
G3D Mark Score	1,507+1%	1,492
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 5.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	640	4096+540%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.024 TFLOPS	12.66 TFLOPS+1136%
ROPs	16	64+300%
TMUs	40	256+540%
L1 Cache	0.16 MB	1 MB+525%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon RX Vega 6
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7870M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega 6 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 7870M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD 7870M and System on the Radeon RX Vega 6. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX Vega 6) — the Radeon RX Vega 6 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon RX Vega 6
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	Shared	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	System	System
Bus Width	System	System
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870M draws 45W versus the Radeon RX Vega 6's 295W — a 147.1% difference. The Radeon HD 7870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 6). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon RX Vega 6
TDP	45W-85%	295W
Recommended PSU	350W	1W-100%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Integrated
Perf/Watt	33.5+557%	5.1

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 6 (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon RX Vega 6
MSRP	—	$0
Codename	Heathrow	Vega 10
Release	April 24 2012	August 7 2017
Ranking	#765	#171

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