Radeon HD 5870
AMD
G3D Mark
2,180
MSRP
$399
AVG Price
$50
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 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.
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 Radeon HD 5870
FPS Benchmarks
Predicted performance for Radeon HD 5870 across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 7800X3D to isolate GPU performance.
Counter-Strike 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Genshin Impact
Hogwarts Legacy
League of Legends
Minecraft
Overwatch 2
Path of Exile 2
Phasmophobia
Technical Analysis
Detailed breakdown of Radeon HD 5870 specifications and capabilities.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5870 scores 2,180 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 1600 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 80 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 2.72 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score | 2,180 |
| 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 | 1600 |
| TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling | 80 |
| ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending | 32 |
| Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency | 850 MHz |
| Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance | 2.72 TFLOPS |
| Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second | 68.00 GTexel/s |
| PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generation | PCIe 2.1 x16 |
| Transistor Count | 2,154 million |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #663 |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 5870 is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 128-bit memory bus, delivering Unknown of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| 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 | 128-bit |
| Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate | 8 Gbps |
| BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAM | Unknown |
| L1 Cache | 160 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB |
Advanced Features & APIs
The Radeon HD 5870 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 11.2— latest API versions enable the most advanced rendering features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| FSR Frame Generation | ❌ Not Supported |
| AMD Fluid Motion Frames | ❌ Not Supported |
| FidelityFX Super Resolution | ✅ Supported |
| DirectXMicrosoft graphics API version | 11.2 |
| Compute APIGPGPU framework (CUDA/ROCm/OpenCL) | OpenCL 1.2 |
| Multi-GPUSLI/CrossFire/NVLink support | CrossFire |
Display & Media
Display outputs: DVIx 0, HDMIx 1, DisplayPortx 2 — supports up to 3 simultaneous displays. Hardware encoder: UVD 2.2, decoder: UVD 2.2— dedicated hardware for video encoding/decoding accelerates streaming, recording, and video playback. Supported codecs: H.264.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| 0 PortsNumber of 0 display connectors | DVIx |
| 1 PortsNumber of 1 display connectors | HDMIx |
| 2 PortsNumber of 2 display connectors | DisplayPortx |
| Max DisplaysMaximum simultaneously connected monitors | 3 |
| Hardware EncoderVideo encoding engine version | UVD 2.2 |
| Hardware DecoderVideo decoding engine version | UVD 2.2 |
| CodecsSupported video compression formats | H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5870 draws 188 Watt under load (TDP) — a 500W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 2x 6-pin. Physical size: 280mm long, occupying 2 expansion slots— verify your case has clearance before purchasing.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| TDPPower consumption under load | 188 Watt |
| Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage | 500W |
| Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type | 2x 6-pin |
| Card LengthGPU card length — check case clearance | 280mm |
| Slot WidthExpansion slots occupied | 2-slot |
Value Analysis
At an average price of $50 (MSRP: $399), the Radeon HD 5870 delivers 44 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #663 among all indexed GPUs.
| Specification | Radeon HD 5870 |
|---|---|
| MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price | $399 |
| Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days | $50 |
| Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking | #663 |
| Release Date | September 23 2009 |
| Release Year | 2009 |
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Our Recommendation for Radeon HD 5870
Suggested pairings based on performance balance
Minimum (Avoid Bottleneck) (12)
Recommended (Balanced) (12)
High-End (Max Performance) (12)
Popular Comparisons
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