GeForce GTX 680 vs Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2

When comparing GeForce GTX 680 and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 680 and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 680 Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Power consumption (TDP) 195 Watt 110 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors Two 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR3
Maximum RAM amount 2048 MB 512 MB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort No outputs
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  • GeForce GTX 680 has 77% more power consumption, than Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.
  • GeForce GTX 680 is connected by PCIe 3.0 x16, and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.
  • GeForce GTX 680 has 1536 GB more memory, than Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.
  • GeForce GTX 680 is used in Desktops, and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 680 is build with Kepler architecture, and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 - with RV6xx.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 680 is 346 MHz higher, than Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.
  • GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 - by 55 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 680 is 5150 MHz higher, than Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 6−7
ultra / 1080p 21−24 4−5
QHD / 1440p 16−18 0−1
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 16−18
medium / 1080p 40−45 8−9
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 680 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 355% more, than Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 680 Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2
Architecture Kepler RV6xx
Code name GK104 M88-XT CF
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 22 March 2012 1 September 2008
Pipelines 1536 640
Core clock speed 1006 MHz 660 MHz
Boost Clock 1058 MHz
Transistor count 3,540 million 666 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 55 nm
Texture fill rate 128.8 billion/sec 10.56
Floating-point performance 3,090.4 gflops 2x 422.4 gflops
Length 10.0" (25.4 cm)
Memory bus width 256-bit GDDR5 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 6000 MHz 850 MHz
Memory bandwidth 192.2 GB/s 54.4 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_0) 10.1 (10_1)
Shader Model 5.1 4.1
OpenGL 4.2 3.3
OpenCL 1.2 N/A
Vulkan 1.1.126 N/A
CUDA +
CUDA cores 1536
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
Height 4.376" (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support 4 displays
HDMI +
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 121 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 15 Mh/s
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