Radeon R9 255 vs Radeon HD 7870M

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 7870M

#112

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

288%

#114

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

261%

#115

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

261%

#119

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

237%

#120

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

235%

#122

Radeon HD 7870M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#123

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

100%

#126

GeForce GT 550M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

99%

#131

GeForce GT 335M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 7870M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 255.

Insight	Radeon R9 255	Radeon HD 7870M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 7870M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon R9 255 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7870M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

No prediction data available

Path of Exile 2

No prediction data available

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

League of Legends

No prediction data available

League of Legends

No prediction data available

Valorant

No prediction data available

Valorant

No prediction data available

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 255 and Radeon HD 7870M

Radeon R9 255

The Radeon R9 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $249.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 255 scores 1,501 and the Radeon HD 7870M reaches 1,507 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 255 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon HD 7870M uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 255) vs 640 (Radeon HD 7870M). Raw compute: 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 255) vs 1.024 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870M).

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon HD 7870M
G3D Mark Score	1,501	1,507
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792+180%	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.29 TFLOPS+221%	1.024 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	112+180%	40
L1 Cache	448 KB+180%	160 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon HD 7870M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of video memory. Bus width: 128-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R9 255) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 7870M) — the Radeon R9 255 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon HD 7870M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 255 draws 190W versus the Radeon HD 7870M's 45W — a 123.4% difference. The Radeon HD 7870M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (Radeon R9 255) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7870M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.