AMD
ATI Radeon HD 3870 vs Radeon RX 590
Full comparison of specs, performance and benchmarks
AMD
RX 590
Aggregate performance score
We've compared ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 across specs and all relevant benchmarks.
↗RX 590 outperforms ATI Radeon HD 3870 by 5% based on our aggregate benchmark results.+5%
Scores are normalized on the Head to Head scale. Higher is better.ATI Radeon HD 3870 vs Radeon RX 590: key takeaway
The comparison of ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 shows a 5% advantage for RX 590 in gaming performance, while ATI Radeon HD 3870 may still be stronger in value for money. Use the sections below to check whether that lead comes from real FPS, specifications, efficiency, price or platform features.
SUMMARY PROFILE
Verified-metrics radar
Axes with missing data are hidden; every value uses a fixed scale.
AMDPerformance
Efficiency
Price / performance
Memory capacity
3941
10061
100100
1368
COMPARISON RESULT
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is the best overall choice
ATI Radeon HD 3870 leads in combined game performance. ATI Radeon HD 3870 offers the better price per frame, while the final choice depends on the required features, memory, and games.
ATI Radeon HD 3870 leads in the combined performance index
ATI Radeon HD 3870 costs less
CATALOG POSITION
Full ranking →Graphics card ranking
Positions 93–98of 317
COMPARISON VERDICT
Which should you choose?
Two practical conclusions based on community votes and gaming value.
Radeon RX 590
101 likesHead to Head visitors currently choose this model more often.
ATI Radeon HD 3870
100/100 · Price $119The choice is based on the price-to-performance index and launch price.
OVERALL SCORE
Overview
Scores are calculated from specifications, performance, and efficiency.
The Summary score section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
GamesDirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan performance
39
41Better
Professional applications3D modeling, video editing, and rendering
34
36Better
AI and machine learningMachine-learning and AI capabilities
32
34Better
Power efficiencyPower consumption across workloads
100Better
61
Head to Head scoreOverall catalog score
62Better
56
FULL COMPARISON
Specifications
The better numeric value is highlighted in green, taking the metric direction into account.
The Specifications section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
Device classDesktopDesktop
USB Type-CNoNo
HDMI—HDMI 2.0b
Vulkan—1.3
OpenGL3.34.6
DisplayPort—DisplayPort 1.4a
DirectX10.112.0
TFLOPS0.4977.119Better
Power consumption106 WBetter225 W
Memory typeGDDR4GDDR5
Power connector6 pin8 pin
Max monitors34
Release date20072018
Max resolution2560 × 16007680 × 4320
ArchitectureTeraScaleGCN 4.0
Clock speed775 MHz1469 - 1545 MHzBetter
Base clock775 MHz1469 MHzBetter
Boost clock775 MHz1545 MHzBetter
VRAM512 MB GDDR4Better8 GB GDDR5
Memory frequency2,3 GHz8 GHzBetter
Memory bus256 bit256 bit
Memory bandwidth74 GB/s256 GB/sBetter
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 3x16
Power consumption106 WBetter225 W
Process node55 nm12 nmBetter
Recommended PSU300 WBetter450 W
Length241 mm241 mm
ThicknessDual-slotDual-slot
Upscaling——
Compute API—OpenCL 2.1
Launch price$119Better$309
Shader units / cores3202304Better
Die size192 mm²Better232 mm²
Memory cacheL2 0.25 MBBetterL1 16 KB, L2 2 MB
Transistor count666 million5700 millionBetter
GAME TEST BENCH
Gaming FPS
Available results are shown separately; missing data is not treated as zero.
The Gaming FPS section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 across curated H2H Lab game presets. The useful signal is not only average FPS, but also how each device behaves at 1440p and 4K, how memory capacity and bus width affect heavy textures, and whether the game engine favors raster performance, ray tracing, or driver maturity.
ATI Radeon HD 3870RX 590
Verified H2HCommunity VerifiedEstimatedPredicted
Black Myth: Wukong
1080p High
23 FPSEstimated 64%
23 FPSEstimated 66%
1080p Ultra
20 FPSEstimated 64%
19 FPSEstimated 66%
1440p Ultra
11 FPSEstimated 58%
13 FPSEstimated 64%
4K Ultra
5 FPSEstimated 55%
5 FPSEstimated 57%
Black Myth: WukongATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
Call of Duty: WarzoneATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
Counter-Strike 2ATI Radeon HD 3870197 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590191 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 3870138 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590134 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 387077 FPSEstimated 66%RX 59097 FPSEstimated 72%ATI Radeon HD 387029 FPSEstimated 63%RX 59032 FPSEstimated 65%
Cyberpunk 2077ATI Radeon HD 3870127 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590123 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 3870109 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590106 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 387056 FPSEstimated 66%RX 59070 FPSEstimated 72%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 63%RX 59021 FPSEstimated 65%
Forza Horizon 5ATI Radeon HD 3870160 FPSEstimated 78%RX 590155 FPSEstimated 80%ATI Radeon HD 3870104 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590101 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 387070 FPSEstimated 66%RX 59087 FPSEstimated 72%ATI Radeon HD 387043 FPSEstimated 63%RX 59046 FPSEstimated 65%
God of War RagnarökATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
Hogwarts LegacyATI Radeon HD 3870104 FPSEstimated 72%RX 590101 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 387087 FPSEstimated 72%RX 59084 FPSEstimated 74%ATI Radeon HD 387050 FPSEstimated 66%RX 59063 FPSEstimated 72%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 63%RX 59022 FPSEstimated 65%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024ATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
Monster Hunter WildsATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
StarfieldATI Radeon HD 387023 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59023 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387020 FPSEstimated 64%RX 59019 FPSEstimated 66%ATI Radeon HD 387011 FPSEstimated 58%RX 59013 FPSEstimated 64%ATI Radeon HD 38705 FPSEstimated 55%RX 5905 FPSEstimated 57%
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H workload indices
Comparable internal indices on a fixed 0–100 scale.
The Benchmarks section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Raster IndexH2H Index / 10039415%
H2H Compute IndexH2H Index / 100334735%
H2H Rendering IndexH2H Index / 100324942%
H2H Memory Workload IndexH2H Index / 1001368136%
H2H Efficiency IndexH2H Index / 1001006148%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX
H2H AI workload indices
Estimated workload profiles based on available performance and memory data.
The Detailed comparison section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
H2H Image Generation IndexH2H Index / 100275365%
H2H ML Training IndexH2H Index / 100285260%
H2H Inference IndexH2H Index / 100324942%
H2H Local LLM IndexH2H Index / 100245680%
H2H Computer Vision IndexH2H Index / 100314945%
These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.
Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling
The Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
DirectX10.112.0
Vulkan—1.3
OpenGL3.34.6
Upscaling——
Compute API—OpenCL 2.1
Architecture and release
The Architecture and release section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
ArchitectureTeraScaleGCN 4.0
Process node55 nm12 nmBetter
Release date20072018
Device classDesktopDesktop
GPU cores, die and clocks
The Core layout and clocks section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
Transistor count666 million5700 millionBetter
Die size192 mm²Better232 mm²
Shader units / cores3202304Better
Base clock775 MHz1469 MHzBetter
Boost clock775 MHz1545 MHzBetter
Board size, power and compatibility
The Form factor and compatibility section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 3x16
Length241 mm241 mm
ThicknessDual-slotDual-slot
Recommended PSU300 WBetter450 W
Power connector6 pin8 pin
Display outputs and limits
The Display outputs section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
HDMI—HDMI 2.0b
DisplayPort—DisplayPort 1.4a
USB Type-CNoNo
Max monitors34
Max resolution2560 × 16007680 × 4320
Memory and compute throughput
The VRAM capacity and bandwidth section compares ATI Radeon HD 3870 and RX 590 with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.
VRAM512 MB GDDR4Better8 GB GDDR5
Memory typeGDDR4GDDR5
Memory bus256 bit256 bit
TFLOPS0.4977.119Better
HEAD TO HEAD · DISCOVER
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AI EXPLAIN · HEAD TO HEAD
Explain this comparison
Beyond percentages: causes, relevant specifications, and practical impact behind every chart.
What AI will explain
Overall score, radar, FPS, synthetic tests, specifications, efficiency, and value.
REAL CONFIGURATIONS
Owner experiences
Real builds, results, and community feedback.
♢Moderator reviewed☆Helpful to the community🏅Expert badges
Frequently asked comparison questions
Short recommendations based on performance, memory, power consumption, and intended use.
01Which is better for gaming: ATI Radeon HD 3870 or RX 590?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 has the higher overall gaming score, while ATI Radeon HD 3870 offers the better price-to-performance ratio. The final choice depends on resolution and settings.
02Which is better for streaming?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is the stronger streaming choice thanks to performance, hardware encoding, and application support. Check AV1, H.264, and HEVC support before buying.
03Which is better for Blender?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is generally the better option for Blender and GPU rendering. Rendering-engine support and available VRAM also matter.
04Which is better for video editing?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 offers more overall performance, while ATI Radeon HD 3870 offers more memory headroom. Codecs, hardware encoders, and editor optimization can change the result.
05Which is better for neural networks and AI?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is the more practical option for local AI workloads. VRAM capacity, compute libraries, and framework compatibility are especially important.
06Which is better for 1080p?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is the most rational 1080p choice, where high frame rates and cost per frame matter most.
07Which is better for 1440p?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 leads in combined 1440p performance. ATI Radeon HD 3870 can be preferable for heavy textures and games with high VRAM usage.
08Which is better for 4K?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is preferable for 4K, where total performance, memory bandwidth, and VRAM capacity have the greatest impact.
09Which is better for a quiet PC?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is easier to use in a quiet build because of its lower estimated power and thermal load. Actual noise depends on the specific cooler.
10Which is better without replacing the power supply?+
ATI Radeon HD 3870 is the safer candidate because its stated power consumption is lower. Verify PSU wattage, age, and power connectors.
11Is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?+
Consider upgrading to ATI Radeon HD 3870 if your current device no longer delivers the required FPS, memory capacity, or feature support. A gain below 15–20% is usually worth waiting for a price cut.