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    Radeon HD 8870M vs Radeon R9 290X

    When comparing Radeon HD 8870M and Radeon R9 290X, 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 8870M and Radeon R9 290X is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.
    Radeon HD 8870M Check Price
    Radeon R9 290X Check Price

    Radeon HD 8870M is a Laptop Graphics Card

    Note: Radeon HD 8870M 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 8870M here:

    Radeon HD 8870M Laptops

    Main Specs

      Radeon HD 8870M Radeon R9 290X
    Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt
    Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
    Supplementary power connectors 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
    Memory type GDDR5, DDR3 GDDR5
    Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 4 GB
    Display Connectors No outputs 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
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    • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
    • Radeon R9 290X has 2 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8870M.
    • Radeon HD 8870M is used in Laptops, and Radeon R9 290X - in Desktops.
    • Radeon HD 8870M and Radeon R9 290X are build with GCN architecture.
    • Radeon HD 8870M and Radeon R9 290X are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
    • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8870M is 3250 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 290X.

    Game benchmarks

    high / 1080p 7−8 35−40
    ultra / 1080p 4−5 24−27
    QHD / 1440p 0−1 18−20
    4K / 2160p − 10−11
    low / 720p 18−20 60−65
    medium / 1080p 9−10 45−50
    The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 290X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 330% more, than Radeon HD 8870M.

    Full Specs

      Radeon HD 8870M Radeon R9 290X
    Architecture GCN GCN
    Code name Venus Hawaii XT
    Type Laptop Desktop
    Release date 18 December 2012 24 October 2013
    Pipelines 640 2816
    Core clock speed 725 MHz
    Boost Clock 775 MHz 947 MHz
    Transistor count 1,500 million 6,200 million
    Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
    Texture fill rate 31.00 176.0
    Floating-point performance 992.0 gflops 5,632 gflops
    Length 275 mm
    Memory bus width 128 Bit 512 Bit
    Memory clock speed 4500 MHz 1250 MHz
    Memory bandwidth 72 GB/s 320 GB/s
    Shared memory - -
    DirectX 12 (11_1)
    Shader Model 5.1 6.3
    OpenGL 4.6 4.6
    OpenCL 1.2 2.0
    Vulkan 1.2.131 +
    Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.76 kh/s
    FreeSync +
    Bus support PCIe 3.0
    HDMI +
    Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 107 Mh/s 623 Mh/s
    Laptop size large
    Eyefinity +
    HD3D +
    TrueAudio +
    Design reference
    DisplayPort support +
    CrossFire +
    DDMA audio +
    Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.07 Gh/s
    Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 25.75 Mh/s
    Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 350 Sol/s
    AppAcceleration +
    LiquidVR +
    TressFX +
    UVD +
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