Radeon R9 M385X vs Radeon HD 5850

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. The Radeon R9 M385X is positioned at rank #429 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. 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 Radeon R9 M385X

#419

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

1633%

#421

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

1480%

#422

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

1476%

#426

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

1342%

#427

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

1333%

#429

Radeon R9 M385X

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

100%

#431

Radeon R5 M430

MSRP: $99|Avg: $20

99%

#432

Mobility Radeon HD 5570

MSRP: $80|Avg: $20

99%

#433

GeForce 810A

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#434

GeForce GT 520MX

MSRP: $45|Avg: $10

97%

#435

Radeon R5 330

MSRP: $81|Avg: $45

97%

#437

Radeon HD 8450G + 8750M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

96%

#438

Radeon R3

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

94%

#439

Radeon HD 7520G + HD 8600/8700M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#441

Radeon HD 8550G + 8600M Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

93%

#443

Radeon R9 M360

MSRP: $300|Avg: $81

91%

#444

Radeon HD 8550G + 7600M Dual

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon R9 M385X is significantly newer (2015 vs 2009). The Radeon R9 M385X likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5850 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 M385X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 5850 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+300%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 5850 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5850 holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $300), it costs 90% less, resulting in a 880.4% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+880.4%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($300)	✅More affordable ($30)

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 M385X Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 5850 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 M385X and Radeon HD 5850

Radeon R9 M385X

The Radeon R9 M385X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,994 points.

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M385X scores 1,994 and the Radeon HD 5850 reaches 1,955 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M385X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon HD 5850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R9 M385X) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850). Raw compute: 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385X) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
G3D Mark Score	1,994+2%	1,955
Architecture	GCN 2.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	896	1440+61%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.971 TFLOPS	2.088 TFLOPS+6%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	56	72+29%
L1 Cache	224 KB+56%	144 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
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)

The Radeon R9 M385X comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5850 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 5850 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R9 M385X) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 5850) — the Radeon HD 5850 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	128 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R9 M385X) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5850).

Feature	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
Encoder	VCE 2.0	—
Decoder	UVD 4.2	—
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M385X draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 5850's 151W — a 67.3% difference. The Radeon R9 M385X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M385X) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5850). Power connectors: Mobile vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385X	Radeon HD 5850
TDP	75W-50%	151W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	Mobile	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	26.6+106%	12.9

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 M385X launched at $300 MSRP and currently averages $300, while the Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299 and now averages $30. The Radeon HD 5850 costs 90% less ($270 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 6.6 (Radeon R9 M385X) vs 65.2 (Radeon HD 5850) — the Radeon HD 5850 offers 887.9% better value. The Radeon R9 M385X is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2009).