AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs AMD Radeon HD 8870M Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8462 points in the Geekbench OpenCL test, while the AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447 points. This gives the HD 8870M a 13.6% advantage in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: Are these GPUs based on the same architecture and chip?

A: Yes, both use the Venus chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, produced on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Both have 1,500 million transistors and a die size of 123 mm².

Q: Do the two cards share the same memory configuration?

A: They share the same memory size (2 GB), type (GDDR5), and bus width (128 bit). However, the HD 8870M has a higher memory clock at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective speed, versus 1000 MHz and 4 Gbps on the HD 8850M. This results in 72.00 GB/s bandwidth for the HD 8870M and 64.00 GB/s for the HD 8850M.

Q: What are the core counts for each GPU?

A: Both GPUs have identical core configurations: 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation pipelines.

Q: Which GPU has the higher clock speeds?

A: The HD 8870M runs at a base clock of 725 MHz and a boost clock of 775 MHz. The HD 8850M runs at a base clock of 575 MHz and a boost clock of 625 MHz.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU in the database?

A: The HD 8870M sits at the 43rd percentile among all GPUs, while the HD 8850M is at the 40th percentile. The HD 8870M also has a higher average benchmark score of 8462 compared to 7447 for the HD 8850M.

Architecture Differences

Both mobile GPUs come from the same Solar System generation (HD 8800M) and share the Venus chip, GCN 1.0 architecture, and TSMC 28 nm manufacturing process. The transistor count is identical at 1,500 million, and the die size is the same at 123 mm², which results in a matching transistor density of 12.2M per mm². These are not different silicon designs; they are the same physical chip running at different operating points.

The architecture-level features are identical across both products. Each GPU supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, which is expected for GCN 1.0 parts. Both connect through PCIe 3.0 x16 and were released on the same date, 2013-03-31. Their production status is end-of-life, and both share the same predecessor (London) and successor (Gem System) in the product family.

The meaningful architectural difference lies in the clock domain. The HD 8870M operates at 725 MHz base and 775 MHz boost, while the HD 8850M operates at 575 MHz base and 625 MHz boost. Because the shader, texture, and ROP counts are identical, all performance differences trace back to these clock speeds and the associated memory clock. The HD 8870M also runs its memory at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) on the HD 8850M, which directly affects fill rates and bandwidth.

In terms of pixel throughput, the HD 8870M achieves 12.40 GPixel/s compared to 10.00 GPixel/s for the HD 8850M. Texture fill on the HD 8870M reaches 31.00 GTexel/s, while the HD 8850M reaches 25.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute output is 992.0 GFLOPS for the HD 8870M versus 800.0 GFLOPS for the HD 8850M. Every rate metric is higher on the HD 8870M by the same proportional margin, which is consistent with the clock ratio between the two cards.

Neither GPU has a published TDP, slot width, power connector requirement, or suggested PSU rating in the database. There are no dimensions listed for length, height, width, or display outputs. The absence of thermal and power data means the comparison cannot be made on those grounds.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between the two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8462 points higher than the HD 8850M, recording a delta of 13.6%. The HD 8870M wins the comparison with one win out of one test, while the HD 8850M records zero wins.

Looking at the relative positioning against their nearest rivals helps contextualize this gap. The HD 8870M's score of 8462 places it just 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8458) and 0.3% above the AMD Radeon 880M (8436). It is also 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8427). The only rival that beats it in this cluster is the Intel Arc A380, which scores 8558 and leads the HD 8870M by 1.1%. This means the HD 8870M sits in a narrow performance band where the differences between adjacent cards are within about one percentage point.

The HD 8850M, at 7447 points, occupies a slightly lower tier. Its nearest rival, the Intel UHD Graphics 750, scores 7441, which is 0.1% behind. The AMD Radeon R7 350 (7425) trails by 0.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (7472 leads by 0.3% over the HD 8870M. The only rival further ahead is the Intel Arc A310 at 7550, which is 1.4% faster. The 13.6% gap between the two AMD cards in the head-to-head is therefore much larger than the spread within either rival cluster. The HD 8870M is not merely marginally faster than the HD 8850M; the performance gap is approximately ten times larger than the typical delta between adjacent rivals for either card.

Because the two chips share the same core architecture and configuration, the benchmark delta can be attributed directly to the operating frequencies. The HD 8870M's boost clock of 775 MHz versus 625 MHz on the HD 8850M, combined with the higher memory clock, explains the 13.6% lead. The FP32 figures (992.0 GFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS) show a 24% theoretical peak advantage, while the real-world OpenCL result is smaller but still clearly favors the HD 8870M.

The average benchmark score for the HD 8870M is 8462, and for the HD 8850M it is 7447. These averages match the single recorded benchmark exactly, meaning the database has no other performance data to differentiate the cards beyond the Geekbench OpenCL result.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Base clock: 725 MHz (HD 8870M) versus 575 MHz (HD 8850M)
• Boost clock: 775 MHz (HD 8870M) versus 625 MHz (HD 8850M)
• Memory clock: 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective (HD 8870M) versus 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective (HD 8850M)
• Memory bandwidth: 72.00 GB/s (HD 8870M) versus 64.00 GB/s (HD 8850M)
• Pixel rate: 12.40 GPixel/s (HD 8870M) versus 10.00 GPixel/s (HD 8850M)
• Texture rate: 31.00 GTexel/s (HD 8870M) versus 25.00 GTexel/s (HD 8850M)
• FP32 compute: 992.0 GFLOPS (HD 8870M) versus 800.0 GFLOPS (HD 8850M)
• Geekbench OpenCL score: 8462 (HD 8870M) versus 7447 (HD 8850M)
• Percentile ranking: 43rd (HD 8870M) versus 40th (HD 8850M)

All other recorded specifications are identical: 2 GB GDDR5 memory, 128 bit bus width, 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 28 nm process node, 1,500 million transistors, 123 mm² die size, 12.2M per mm² transistor density, PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.2.170, release date of 2013-03-31, and end-of-life production status. Both have no TDP, slot width, power connector, suggested PSU, dimensions, or display output data recorded.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows a clear performance hierarchy between these two mobile GPUs. The AMD Radeon HD 8870M outperforms the AMD Radeon HD 8850M in every measured metric where the two differ. The OpenCL score gap is 13.6%, which is substantial when compared to the tight clustering of their respective nearest rivals. The HD 8870M sits at the 43rd percentile versus the 40th percentile for the HD 8850M.

The HD 8870M is the stronger GPU for general compute workloads as measured by Geekbench OpenCL. It also offers higher theoretical peak performance in pixel fill, texture fill, and FP32 throughput. For applications that depend on memory bandwidth, the 72.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s difference adds another layer of advantage.

The HD 8850M remains a functional chip within the same architecture family, but it operates at lower clocks across the board. Its performance positions it close to integrated graphics-class rivals like the Intel UHD Graphics 750, while the HD 8870M competes with discrete-tier parts like the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 and AMD Radeon 880M.

The database does not contain any benchmark where the HD 8850M wins. There are no power consumption figures, no thermal data, and no pricing information to weigh against the performance difference. Based strictly on recorded performance, the HD 8870M is the superior part. The HD 8850M would only be preferable if the lower clocks translate to lower power draw in a specific system, but no such data is present in the database to confirm that.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon HD 8870M wins in:

• Compute performance: Geekbench OpenCL score of 8462 versus 7447, a 13.6% advantage
• Pixel throughput: 12.40 GPixel/s versus 10.00 GPixel/s
• Texture throughput: 31.00 GTexel/s versus 25.00 GTexel/s
• FP32 compute: 992.0 GFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS
• Memory bandwidth: 72.00 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s
• Overall ranking: 43rd percentile versus 40th percentile

AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins in:

• No recorded benchmark wins. The database contains no test where the HD 8850M leads the HD 8870M.

For use-case planning, the HD 8870M is the appropriate choice for workloads that stress the GPU compute pipeline, OpenCL acceleration, or memory throughput. The HD 8850M, with its lower clocks, would run the same workloads at reduced performance levels. Since both cards share identical core counts and architecture, software optimized for GCN 1.0 will run on either, but the HD 8870M will complete the work faster in every measurable aspect. If a system requires the fastest available version of this Venus-based mobile GPU, the HD 8870M is the one the data supports. The HD 8850M is effectively a lower-binned variant of the same chip, and the benchmark results reflect that binning consistently.