Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U

Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U Performance Spectrum

Radeon HD 7870M

2 GB 45

1,507

0.0%

Radeon R7 PRO A8-9600

1,546

+2.6%

Radeon R5 M435

Radeon HD 8570D + HD 8570 Dual

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 7870M vs Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U 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 Ryzen 3 5300U: 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

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 100W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 6.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U

2020

Why buy it

✅103.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Radeon HD 7870M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌122.2% higher power demand at 100W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 103.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (1,546 vs 1,507), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 7870M vs Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U 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 Ryzen 3 5300U

The Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 28 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1327 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,546 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870M scores 1,507 and the Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U 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 Ryzen 3 5300U uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 1,408 (Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U). Raw compute: 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U
G3D Mark Score	1,507	1,546+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	640	1408+120%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.024 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS+352%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	88+120%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	1.5 MB+500%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7870M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7870M gives you 300% 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 Ryzen 3 5300U. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 1.5 MB (Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U) — the Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	Shared	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	System	System
Bus Width	System	System
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	1.5 MB+500%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870M draws 45W versus the Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U's 100W — a 75.9% difference. The Radeon HD 7870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 350W (Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U
TDP	45W-55%	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Perf/Watt	33.5+116%	15.5

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U (2020 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	Radeon Ryzen 3 5300U
MSRP	—	$250
Codename	Heathrow	Navi 14
Release	April 24 2012	May 28 2020
Ranking	#765	#336

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