Radeon HD 4870 X2 vs Radeon HD 8790M

When comparing Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Radeon HD 8790M, 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 X2 and Radeon HD 8790M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8790M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8790M 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 8790M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 X2 Radeon HD 8790M
Power consumption (TDP) 286 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 MXM-A (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x S-Video No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon HD 8790M uses MXM-A (3.0) interface.
  • Radeon HD 8790M has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8790M - in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is build with TeraScale architecture, and Radeon HD 8790M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 8790M is 150 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is manufactured by 55 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 8790M - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8790M is 900 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 3−4
ultra / 1080p 1−2 1−2
QHD / 1440p 0−1 0−1
low / 720p 14−16 14−16
medium / 1080p 6−7 6−7
Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Radeon HD 8790M have the same average FPS in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 X2 Radeon HD 8790M
Architecture TeraScale GCN
Code name R700 Mars XTX
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 12 August 2008 16 November 2012
Pipelines 800 384
Core clock speed 700 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 956 million 950 million
Manufacturing process technology 55 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 28.00 21.60
Floating-point performance 2x 1,120.0 gflops 691.2 gflops
Length 267 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 3600 MHz 4500 MHz
Memory bandwidth 115.2 GB/s 64 GB/s
Shared memory -
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) 80 Mh/s
Laptop size medium sized
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