Radeon HD 3850 vs GeForce 8400
Radeon HD 3850
Popular choices:
GeForce 8400
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
About G3D Mark
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. The Radeon HD 3850 is positioned at rank 308 and the GeForce 8400 is on rank 657, so the Radeon HD 3850 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3850
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 8400
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 3850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 395.1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (1 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 8400.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+395.1%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-395.1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 8400 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce 8400 holds the technical lead. Priced at $5 (vs $179), it costs 97% less, resulting in a 623.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+623.1%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($179) | ✅More affordable ($5) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 3850 and GeForce 8400
Radeon HD 3850
The Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 401 points. Launch price was $249.
GeForce 8400
The GeForce 8400 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 17 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 81 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 3850 scores 401 versus the GeForce 8400's 81 — the Radeon HD 3850 leads by 395.1%. The Radeon HD 3850 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce 8400 uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 384 (GeForce 8400). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850) vs 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 8400). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1124 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 401+395% | 81 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024+167% | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.761 TFLOPS+104% | 0.8632 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1124 MHz+12% |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 64+300% | 16 |
| L1 Cache | 256 KB+33% | 192 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 3850 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 8400 has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 3850 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850) vs 1 MB (GeForce 8400) — the GeForce 8400 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 10.0 (GeForce 8400). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 10.0 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: UVD+ vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8400).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | — | No |
| Decoder | UVD+ | PureVideo HD VP2 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 | MPEG-2,H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 3850 draws 130W versus the GeForce 8400's 33W — a 119% difference. The GeForce 8400 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850) vs 350W (GeForce 8400). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Legacy. Card length: 208mm vs 170mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 65°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W | 33W-75% |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 350W-22% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | Legacy |
| Length | 208mm | 170mm |
| Height | — | 106mm |
| Slots | 1 | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C | 65°C-19% |
| Perf/Watt | 3.1+24% | 2.5 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 3850 launched at $179 MSRP and currently averages $179, while the GeForce 8400 launched at $45 and now averages $5. The GeForce 8400 costs 97.2% less ($174 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 16.2 (GeForce 8400) — the GeForce 8400 offers 636.4% better value. The GeForce 8400 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | GeForce 8400 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $179 | $45-75% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $179 | $5-97% |
| Performance per Dollar | 2.2 | 16.2+636% |
| Codename | Pitcairn | GM108 |
| Release | March 5 2012 | March 17 2014 |
| Ranking | #503 | #850 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 3850 and GeForce 8400
