Radeon HD 8870M vs Radeon R9 M275X

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 8870M vs Radeon R9 M275X 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 8870M vs Radeon R9 M275X: 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 8870M

2013

Why buy it

✅1.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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 5.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M275X

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8870M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8870M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (1,638 vs 1,631), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 8870M 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 R9 M275X 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 R9 M275X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8870M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8870M vs Radeon R9 M275X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8870M

The Radeon HD 8870M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,638 points.

Radeon R9 M275X

The Radeon R9 M275X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 28 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,631 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8870M scores 1,638 and the Radeon R9 M275X reaches 1,631 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8870M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M275X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 8870M) vs 640 (Radeon R9 M275X). Raw compute: 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8870M) vs 1.184 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M275X). Boost clocks: 775 MHz vs 925 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
G3D Mark Score	1,638	1,631
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.992 TFLOPS	1.184 TFLOPS+19%
Boost Clock	775 MHz	925 MHz+19%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40	40
L1 Cache	160 KB	160 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
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 8870M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M275X carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 8870M 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 8870M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M275X.

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (Radeon HD 8870M) vs 12_0 (Radeon R9 M275X). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
DirectX	11.1	12_0+8%
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8870M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 M275X). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 3.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MVC	—

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8870M draws 50W versus the Radeon R9 M275X's 75W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 8870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8870M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M275X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
TDP	50W-33%	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	32.8+51%	21.7

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 M275X (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8870M	Radeon R9 M275X
MSRP	—	$300
Codename	Venus	Venus
Release	April 1 2013	January 28 2014
Ranking	#745	#746

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