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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon HD 7870

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $151 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43.3% HIGHER MSRP
$500 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.4 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7870

2012

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $151 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
43.3% HIGHER MSRP
$500 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.4 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon Sky 500 better than Radeon HD 7870?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 4,568 vs 4,723 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon Sky 500 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling, plus much lower power draw (150W vs 200W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 7870 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon Sky 500 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon Sky 500 is about 43.3% more expensive on MSRP at $500 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 3.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 7870 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon HD 7870 make more sense than Radeon Sky 500?

Yes. Radeon HD 7870 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $349 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon Sky 500. The trade-off is that Radeon Sky 500 currently gives you 3.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon HD 7870 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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 HD 7870 Benchmark Check

Radeon Sky 500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	101 FPS	80 FPS
medium	82 FPS	65 FPS
high	65 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	85 FPS	67 FPS
medium	69 FPS	55 FPS
high	49 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	24 FPS
medium	26 FPS	23 FPS
high	17 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7870 Open Radeon Sky 500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	126 FPS	119 FPS
medium	93 FPS	89 FPS
high	72 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	66 FPS
medium	47 FPS	45 FPS
high	34 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	24 FPS
medium	17 FPS	17 FPS
high	13 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	9 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7870 Open Radeon Sky 500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	206 FPS	213 FPS
medium	164 FPS	170 FPS
high	137 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	159 FPS
medium	123 FPS	128 FPS
high	103 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	103 FPS	106 FPS
medium	82 FPS	85 FPS
high	69 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	53 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7870 Open Radeon Sky 500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	172 FPS	144 FPS
medium	142 FPS	113 FPS
high	126 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	120 FPS	105 FPS
medium	101 FPS	85 FPS
high	89 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	61 FPS
medium	56 FPS	46 FPS
high	45 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	25 FPS

Open Radeon HD 7870 Open Radeon Sky 500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7870 and Radeon Sky 500

Radeon HD 7870

The Radeon HD 7870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,568 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870 scores 4,568 and the Radeon Sky 500 reaches 4,723 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score	4,568	4,723+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.56 TFLOPS+5%	2.432 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	80
L1 Cache	320 KB	320 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 draws 200W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon Sky 500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870	Radeon Sky 500
TDP	200W	150W-25%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	22.8	31.5+38%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7870 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon Sky 500 launched at $500. The Radeon HD 7870 costs 30.2% less ($151 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.1 (Radeon HD 7870) vs 9.4 (Radeon Sky 500) — the Radeon HD 7870 offers 39.4% better value. The Radeon Sky 500 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2012).