Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 7870 XT

When comparing Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 7870 XT, 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 Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 7870 XT is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.
Radeon HD 7870 XT

Quadro M520 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Quadro M520 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 Quadro M520 here:

Main Specs

  Quadro M520 Radeon HD 7870 XT
Power consumption (TDP) 25 Watt 185 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 2x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 7870 XT has 640% more power consumption, than Quadro M520.
  • Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 7870 XT have maximum RAM of 2 GB.
  • Quadro M520 is used in Mobile workstations, and Radeon HD 7870 XT - in Desktops.
  • Quadro M520 is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon HD 7870 XT - with GCN 1.0.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 XT is 169 MHz higher, than Quadro M520.
  • Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 7870 XT are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 9−10 35−40
ultra / 1080p 5−6 21−24
QHD / 1440p 0−1 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 21−24 60−65
medium / 1080p 12−14 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7870 XT in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 241% more, than Quadro M520.

Full Specs

  Quadro M520 Radeon HD 7870 XT
Architecture Maxwell GCN 1.0
Code name Tahiti
Type Mobile workstation Desktop
Release date 13 January 2017 19 November 2012
Pipelines 384 1536
Core clock speed 756 MHz 925 MHz
Boost Clock 1019 MHz 975 MHz
Transistor count 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 93.60
Floating-point performance 2,995 gflops
Length 267 mm
Memory bus width 64 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 6000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 40 GB/s 192.0 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 5.0 5.1
OpenGL 4.5 4.6
OpenCL 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 346 Mh/s
Laptop size medium sized
Optimus +
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 14.5 Mh/s
nView Display Management +
3D Stereo +
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