Radeon RX 640 vs Radeon HD 5870

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 RX 640 is positioned at rank #323 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 RX 640

#313

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

795%

#315

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

720%

#316

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

719%

#320

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

653%

#321

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

649%

#323

Radeon RX 640

MSRP: $159|Avg: $55

100%

#326

Iris Pro Graphics P580

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

99%

#327

Radeon E8870PCIe

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

99%

#330

Arc Graphics 140T

MSRP: $350|Avg: $300

94%

#331

Radeon 680M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

94%

#333

GeForce 730A

MSRP: $60|Avg: $20

93%

#334

GeForce GT 745A

MSRP: $99|Avg: $20

91%

#335

GeForce 710A

MSRP: $35|Avg: $62

91%

#336

Radeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

89%

#338

GeForce MX230

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

89%

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 RX 640 is significantly newer (2019 vs 2009). The Radeon RX 640 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 5870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 5870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 640 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%)
Longevity	GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) (14nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (280mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 5870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $55 for the Radeon RX 640, it costs 9% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 10.4% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+10.4%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($55)	✅More affordable ($50)

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 RX 640 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 5870 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 640 and Radeon HD 5870

Radeon RX 640

The Radeon RX 640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,172 points.

Radeon HD 5870

The Radeon HD 5870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 23 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 188W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,180 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 640 scores 2,172 and the Radeon HD 5870 reaches 2,180 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 640 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon HD 5870 uses TeraScale 2, both on 14 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 640 (Radeon RX 640) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5870). Raw compute: 1.559 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 640) vs 2.72 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
G3D Mark Score	2,172	2,180
Architecture	GCN 4.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	14 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	640	1600+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.559 TFLOPS	2.72 TFLOPS+74%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L1 Cache	160 KB	160 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 640 is support for FSR 3 / AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon HD 5870 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
Upscaling Tech	FSR 3 (Native)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 / AFMF (Driver)	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 640 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5870 has 2 GB. The Radeon RX 640 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 640) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
DirectX	12 (FL 12_0)+7%	11.2
Max Displays	6+100%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 640) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon HD 5870). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 640) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 5870).

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
Encoder	VCE 3.4	UVD 2.2
Decoder	UVD 6.3	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 640 draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 5870's 188W — a 116% difference. The Radeon RX 640 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon RX 640) vs 500W (Radeon HD 5870). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon RX 640	Radeon HD 5870
TDP	50W-73%	188W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	—	280mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Perf/Watt	43.4+274%	11.6

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 640 launched at $159 MSRP and currently averages $55, while the Radeon HD 5870 launched at $399 and now averages $50. The Radeon HD 5870 costs 9.1% less ($5 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 39.5 (Radeon RX 640) vs 43.6 (Radeon HD 5870) — the Radeon HD 5870 offers 10.4% better value. The Radeon RX 640 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2009).