Radeon 540 vs Radeon HD 4870

When comparing Radeon 540 and Radeon HD 4870, 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 Radeon 540 and Radeon HD 4870 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  Radeon 540 Radeon HD 4870
Power consumption (TDP) 50 Watt 150 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x8 PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None 2x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 1 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x S-Video
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  • Radeon HD 4870 has 200% more power consumption, than Radeon 540.
  • Radeon 540 is connected by PCIe 3.0 x8, and Radeon HD 4870 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon 540 has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon 540 is build with GCN 4.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 4870 - with TeraScale.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon 540 is 350 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Radeon 540 is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 4870 - by 55 nm process technology.
  • Radeon HD 4870 is 105 mm longer, than Radeon 540.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon 540 is 3400 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 6−7 3−4
ultra / 1080p 3−4 1−2
QHD / 1440p 0−1 0−1
low / 720p 14−16 14−16
medium / 1080p 7−8 6−7
The average gaming FPS of Radeon 540 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 33% more, than Radeon HD 4870.

Full Specs

  Radeon 540 Radeon HD 4870
Architecture GCN 4.0 TeraScale
Code name Lexa RV770
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 26 March 2019 25 June 2008
Pipelines 512 800
Core clock speed 1100 MHz 750 MHz
Boost Clock 1124 MHz
Transistor count 2,200 million 956 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 55 nm
Texture fill rate 35.97 30.00
Floating-point performance 1,200.0 gflops
Length 145 mm 250 mm
Memory bus width 64 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 7000 MHz 3600 MHz
Memory bandwidth 56 GB/s 115.2 GB/s
DirectX 12 (12_0) 10.1 (10_1)
Shader Model 6.4 4.1
OpenGL 4.6 3.3
OpenCL 2.0 1.1
Vulkan 1.2.131 N/A
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