Mobility Radeon HD 3870
AMD
G3D Mark
548
MSRP
$129
AVG Price
$15
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.
Overview
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 548 points.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is positioned at rank #509 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Mobility Radeon HD 3870
FPS Benchmarks
Predicted performance for Mobility Radeon HD 3870 across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 7800X3D to isolate GPU performance.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Technical Analysis
Detailed breakdown of Mobility Radeon HD 3870 specifications and capabilities.
Graphics Performance
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 scores 548 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Entry Level tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) architecture (codename: Broadway), manufactured on a 40 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 800 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 40 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 16 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 1.12 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score | 548 |
| ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generation | TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) |
| CodenameInternal GPU die codename | Broadway |
| Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient | 40 nm |
| Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute | 800 |
| TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling | 40 |
| ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending | 16 |
| Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency | 700 MHz |
| Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance | 1.12 TFLOPS |
| Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second | 28.00 GTexel/s |
| PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generation | PCIe 2.1 x16 |
| Transistor Count | 1,040 million |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #846 |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 is equipped with 0.5 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 128-bit memory bus, delivering Unknown of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures | 0.5 GB |
| VRAM TypeMemory technology generation | GDDR5 |
| Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidth | 128-bit |
| Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate | 8 Gbps |
| BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAM | Unknown |
| L1 Cache | 80 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB |
Advanced Features & APIs
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 supports modern upscaling and frame generation technologies: FidelityFX Super Resolution — these can dramatically boost effective FPS by generating intermediate frames or upscaling from lower internal resolution. Graphics API support: DirectX 10.1— latest API versions enable the most advanced rendering features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| FSR Frame Generation | ❌ Not Supported |
| AMD Fluid Motion Frames | ❌ Not Supported |
| FidelityFX Super Resolution | ✅ Supported |
| DirectXMicrosoft graphics API version | 10.1 |
| Compute APIGPGPU framework (CUDA/ROCm/OpenCL) | OpenCL 1.0 |
| Multi-GPUSLI/CrossFire/NVLink support | CrossFire |
Display & Media
Display outputs: — supports up to 0 simultaneous displays. Hardware encoder: UVD, decoder: UVD— dedicated hardware for video encoding/decoding accelerates streaming, recording, and video playback.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| Max DisplaysMaximum simultaneously connected monitors | 0 |
| Hardware EncoderVideo encoding engine version | UVD |
| Hardware DecoderVideo decoding engine version | UVD |
Power & Dimensions
The Mobility Radeon HD 3870 draws 50 Watt under load (TDP) — a 350W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: PCIe-powered. Physical size: 1mm long, occupying 0 expansion slots— verify your case has clearance before purchasing.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| TDPPower consumption under load | 50 Watt |
| Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage | 350W |
| Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type | PCIe-powered |
| Card LengthGPU card length — check case clearance | 1mm |
| Slot WidthExpansion slots occupied | 0-slot |
Value Analysis
At an average price of $15 (MSRP: $129), the Mobility Radeon HD 3870 delivers 37 G3D Mark points per dollar. It holds Rank #509 in the cost-benefit ranking — a comprehensive score that weighs raw performance against current market pricing. Overall performance ranking position: #846 among all indexed GPUs.
| Specification | Mobility Radeon HD 3870 |
|---|---|
| MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price | $129 |
| Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days | $15 |
| Cost-Benefit RankOverall value ranking position | #509 |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #846 |
| Release Date | January 7 2010 |
| Release Year | 2010 |
Similar Performance
Graphics cards with benchmark scores closest to the current hardware, grouped by manufacturer.
NVIDIA (12)
AMD (12)
Our Recommendation for Mobility Radeon HD 3870
Suggested pairings based on performance balance
Minimum (Avoid Bottleneck) (12)
Recommended (Balanced) (12)
High-End (Max Performance) (12)
Popular Comparisons
Compare Mobility Radeon HD 3870 with other popular GPUs
Compare Mobility Radeon HD 3870
See how this GPU stacks up against similar alternatives
Better Alternatives (8)
Similar or Lower Performance (8)
