Radeon HD 7870M vs RTXA5000-6Q

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 RTXA5000-6Q 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 RTXA5000-6Q: 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 230W, a 185W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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 0.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).

RTXA5000-6Q

2021

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Radeon HD 7870M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so RTXA5000-6Q is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
❌411.1% higher power demand at 230W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTXA5000-6Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1% in PassMark G3D (1,522 vs 1,507), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

RTXA5000-6Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 64 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2012. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

RTXA5000-6Q makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 7870M vs RTXA5000-6Q 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.

RTXA5000-6Q

The RTXA5000-6Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1170 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 8192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 64 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,522 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870M scores 1,507 and the RTXA5000-6Q reaches 1,522 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 RTXA5000-6Q uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 8,192 (RTXA5000-6Q). Raw compute: 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 27.77 TFLOPS (RTXA5000-6Q).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	RTXA5000-6Q
G3D Mark Score	1,507	1,522
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	640	8192+1180%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.024 TFLOPS	27.77 TFLOPS+2612%
ROPs	16	96+500%
TMUs	40	256+540%
L1 Cache	0.16 MB	8 MB+4900%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	6 MB+2300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTXA5000-6Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7870M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	RTXA5000-6Q
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7870M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the RTXA5000-6Q 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 64-bit on the RTXA5000-6Q. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 6 MB (RTXA5000-6Q) — the RTXA5000-6Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	RTXA5000-6Q
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Bus Width	System	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	6 MB+2300%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870M draws 45W versus the RTXA5000-6Q's 230W — a 134.5% difference. The Radeon HD 7870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7870M) vs 350W (RTXA5000-6Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	RTXA5000-6Q
TDP	45W-80%	230W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt	33.5+408%	6.6

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTXA5000-6Q (2021 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870M	RTXA5000-6Q
MSRP	—	$2500
Codename	Heathrow	GA102
Release	April 24 2012	April 12 2021
Ranking	#765	#53

Search Radeon HD 7870M on Amazon

Search RTXA5000-6Q on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.