Radeon HD 8850M vs Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

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 8850M vs Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) 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 8850M vs Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop): 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 8850M

2013

Why buy it

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 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 20.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $49 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

2014

Why buy it

✅66.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 66.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.8% in PassMark G3D (1,000 vs 973), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 8850M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8850M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8850M vs Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8850M

The Radeon HD 8850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 575 MHz to 625 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 973 points.

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 14 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,000 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8850M scores 973 and the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) reaches 1,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8850M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 8850M) vs 384 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)).

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
G3D Mark Score	973	1,000+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640+67%	384
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
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 8850M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 8850M 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 8850M and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop).

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8850M) vs 12_0 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12_0
Max Displays	6+100%	3

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD3 (Radeon HD 8850M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
Encoder	UVD3	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 3.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX	—

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8850M draws 50W versus the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)'s 30W — a 50% difference. The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8850M) vs 350W (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
TDP	50W	30W-40%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Length	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	19.5	33.3+71%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8850M	Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
MSRP	—	$49
Codename	Venus	Kaveri Spectre
Release	April 1 2013	January 14 2014
Ranking	#894	#865

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