Radeon HD 5850
AMD
G3D Mark
1,955
MSRP
$299
AVG Price
$30
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 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.
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
FPS Benchmarks
Predicted performance for Radeon HD 5850 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 Radeon HD 5850 specifications and capabilities.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 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: Cypress), manufactured on a 40 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 1440 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 72 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 2.088 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score | 1,955 |
| ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generation | TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) |
| CodenameInternal GPU die codename | Cypress |
| Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient | 40 nm |
| Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute | 1440 |
| TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling | 72 |
| ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending | 32 |
| Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency | 725 MHz |
| Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance | 2.088 TFLOPS |
| Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second | 52.20 GTexel/s |
| PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generation | PCIe 2.1 x16 |
| Transistor Count | 2,154 million |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #682 |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 5850 is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 256-bit memory bus, delivering 128 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures | 2 GB |
| VRAM TypeMemory technology generation | GDDR5 |
| Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidth | 256-bit |
| Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate | 8 Gbps |
| BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAM | 128 GB/s |
| L1 Cache | 144 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB |
Advanced Features & APIs
The Radeon HD 5850 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.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| FSR Frame Generation | ❌ Not Supported |
| AMD Fluid Motion Frames | ❌ Not Supported |
| FidelityFX Super Resolution | ✅ Supported |
Display & Media
Display outputs: 2x DVI-I, 1x HDMI 1.3a, 1x DisplayPort 1.1. Supported codecs: H.264.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| DVI-I PortsNumber of DVI-I display connectors | 2x |
| HDMI 1.3a PortsNumber of HDMI 1.3a display connectors | 1x |
| DisplayPort 1.1 PortsNumber of DisplayPort 1.1 display connectors | 1x |
| CodecsSupported video compression formats | H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151 Watt under load (TDP) — a 500W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 2x 6-pin.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| TDPPower consumption under load | 151 Watt |
| Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage | 500W |
| Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type | 2x 6-pin |
Value Analysis
At an average price of $30 (MSRP: $299), the Radeon HD 5850 delivers 65 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #682 among all indexed GPUs.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5850 |
|---|---|
| MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price | $299 |
| Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days | $30 |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #682 |
| Release Date | September 30 2009 |
| Release Year | 2009 |
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Our Recommendation for Radeon HD 5850
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