Radeon HD 4870 vs Radeon HD 7870 XT

When comparing Radeon HD 4870 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 Radeon HD 4870 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.

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 Radeon HD 7870 XT
Power consumption (TDP) 150 Watt 185 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 2x 6-pin 2x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x S-Video 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 7870 XT has 23% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Radeon HD 4870 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon HD 7870 XT uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon HD 7870 XT has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon HD 4870 is build with TeraScale architecture, and Radeon HD 7870 XT - with GCN 1.0.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 XT is 175 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by 55 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 7870 XT - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Radeon HD 7870 XT is 17 mm longer, than Radeon HD 4870.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 7870 XT is 2400 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 35−40
ultra / 1080p 1−2 21−24
QHD / 1440p 0−1 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 14−16 60−65
medium / 1080p 6−7 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7870 XT in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 583% more, than Radeon HD 4870.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 Radeon HD 7870 XT
Architecture TeraScale GCN 1.0
Code name RV770 Tahiti
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 25 June 2008 19 November 2012
Pipelines 800 1536
Core clock speed 750 MHz 925 MHz
Boost Clock 975 MHz
Transistor count 956 million 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 55 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 30.00 93.60
Floating-point performance 1,200.0 gflops 2,995 gflops
Length 250 mm 267 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 3600 MHz 6000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 115.2 GB/s 192.0 GB/s
DirectX 10.1 (10_1) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 4.1 5.1
OpenGL 3.3 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan N/A 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 346 Mh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 14.5 Mh/s
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