Radeon HD 8730M vs Radeon Sky 500

When comparing Radeon HD 8730M and Radeon Sky 500, 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 8730M and Radeon Sky 500 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8730M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8730M 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 Radeon HD 8730M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 8730M Radeon Sky 500
Power consumption (TDP) 150 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x8 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin
Memory type DDR3 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 1x DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 8730M is connected by PCIe 3.0 x8, and Radeon Sky 500 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon Sky 500 has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8730M.
  • Radeon HD 8730M is used in Laptops, and Radeon Sky 500 - in Desktops.
  • Radeon HD 8730M is build with GCN architecture, and Radeon Sky 500 - with GCN 1.0.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon Sky 500 is 300 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8730M.
  • Radeon HD 8730M and Radeon Sky 500 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon Sky 500 is 2800 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8730M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 0−1 35−40
ultra / 1080p 21−24
QHD / 1440p 0−1 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 1−2 60−65
medium / 1080p 0−1 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon Sky 500 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 6100% more, than Radeon HD 8730M.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 8730M Radeon Sky 500
Architecture GCN GCN 1.0
Code name Mars Pitcairn
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 16 November 2012 27 March 2013
Pipelines 384 1280
Core clock speed 650 MHz 950 MHz
Boost Clock 700 MHz
Transistor count 950 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 16.80 76.00
Floating-point performance 537.6 gflops 2,432 gflops
Length 242 mm
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 2000 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 32 GB/s 154 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_1) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
Bus support PCIe 3.0
Laptop size medium sized
Form factor full height / full length
DisplayPort count 1
Dual-link DVI support +
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