AMD Radeon HD 8870M vs AMD Radeon RX 6500M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 6500M and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, and it is a decisive result. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 6500M scores 38,586 while the HD 8870M scores 8,462, giving the newer part a 356% advantage. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational leap in raw compute throughput, reflecting the massive shift in architecture, process node, and memory subsystem between the two products.

Looking at the broader database context, the RX 6500M's average benchmark score is 10,362, placing it in the 48th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla C2075 (average score 10,400, delta of -0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A (average score 10,273, delta of 0.9%), and the AMD Radeon RX 550X (average score 10,481, delta of -1.1%). This positioning indicates that the RX 6500M sits in a competitive mid-range bracket, roughly on par with those older desktop and mobile solutions, despite its low power envelope.

The HD 8870M, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 8,462 and sits in the 43rd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (average score 8,458, delta of 0.1%), the AMD Radeon 880M (average score 8,436, delta of 0.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (average score 8,427, delta of 0.4%). The deltas here are extremely tight, all within 1.1%, which tells a clear story: the HD 8870M's performance level is essentially indistinguishable from those older entry-level and mid-range parts, and it is firmly anchored in a much lower performance tier than the RX 6500M.

The only head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, is the sole data point where both products have recorded scores. The RX 6500M's OpenCL result of 38,586 is more than 4.5 times higher than the HD 8870M's 8,462. In terms of percentage, the RX 6500M leads by 356%, which dwarfs the typical single-digit percentage differences seen among close rivals in the database. Such a large delta suggests that the RX 6500M is not merely incrementally faster; it is in a completely different performance class for compute workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data records one win for the RX 6500M and zero wins for the HD 8870M in the head-to-head comparison. The sole test, Geekbench OpenCL, is a compute-oriented workload that stresses raw shader throughput, memory bandwidth, and driver efficiency. The RX 6500M wins this test outright, and the margin is substantial enough that there is no meaningful contest.

For the RX 6500M, the strengths are evident across multiple dimensions. Its FP32 compute rating is 4.915 TFLOPS, and its FP16 rating is 9.830 TFLOPS (2:1), which are figures that point to strong general-purpose compute and graphics performance. The pixel rate of 76.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 153.6 GTexel/s further reinforce its capability in rasterization-heavy tasks. The 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus delivers 144.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is double the HD 8870M's 72.00 GB/s, and this directly benefits memory-bound workloads.

The HD 8870M, on the other hand, has no recorded wins in this comparison. Its FP32 output is 992.0 GFLOPS, which is roughly one-fifth of the RX 6500M's output, and its pixel rate of 12.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s are correspondingly lower. In the context of its nearest rivals, the HD 8870M is competitive with parts like the GeForce MX330 and GTX 675MX, but it does not have the raw compute headroom to challenge the RX 6500M in any benchmark category present in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is wide, and the data makes the reasons clear. The RX 6500M is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 24 chip, and is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The HD 8870M uses the older GCN 1.0 architecture with the Venus chip, on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference alone, from 28 nm to 6 nm, explains a large portion of the efficiency and density gains.

Transistor counts tell a stark story. The RX 6500M packs 5,400 million transistors on a die size of 107 mm², yielding a transistor density of 50.5 million per mm². The HD 8870M has 1,500 million transistors on a larger 123 mm² die, giving a density of just 12.2 million per mm². The RX 6500M crams more than three times as many transistors into a smaller physical area, which is a direct result of the advanced process node.

The compute resources also differ sharply. The RX 6500M has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units (TMUs), 32 render output units (ROPs), and 16 ray tracing cores. The HD 8870M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores listed. The RX 6500M's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 reflects its modern feature set, including hardware ray tracing, while the HD 8870M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The RX 6500M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 8870M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. Although the HD 8870M has a wider bus, the newer memory type and higher effective clock speed on the RX 6500M (18 Gbps effective versus 4.5 Gbps effective) result in exactly double the bandwidth. The RX 6500M also uses a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, while the HD 8870M uses PCIe 3.0 x16, meaning the newer part relies on a faster interconnect even with fewer lanes.

Clock speeds further separate the two. The RX 6500M has a base clock of 2000 MHz, a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and a game clock of 2191 MHz, while the HD 8870M operates at a base of 725 MHz and a boost of 775 MHz. This nearly threefold difference in clock speed compounds with the higher shader count and wider memory bandwidth to produce the observed performance gap.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 6500M than the AMD Radeon HD 8870M in OpenCL?

A: The RX 6500M scores 38,586 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the HD 8870M scores 8,462, giving the RX 6500M a 356% advantage in that specific test.

Q: What are the memory configurations of these two GPUs?

A: The RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 8870M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 6500M has a transistor density of 50.5 million per mm², compared to the HD 8870M's 12.2 million per mm², due to its 6 nm process versus the 28 nm process.

Q: Does the HD 8870M support ray tracing?

A: The recorded data does not list any ray tracing cores for the HD 8870M, while the RX 6500M has 16 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The RX 6500M has an average benchmark score of 10,362, placing it in the 48th percentile, while the HD 8870M has an average score of 8,462, placing it in the 43rd percentile.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 6500M has a boost clock of 2400 MHz, whereas the HD 8870M has a boost clock of 775 MHz.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 6500M | AMD Radeon HD 8870M |

|----------------|---------------------|---------------------|

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Chip | Navi 24 | Venus |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 5,400 million | 1,500 million |

| Die Size | 107 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 50.5M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 725 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2400 MHz | 775 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2191 MHz | N/A |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 144.0 GB/s | 72.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 640 |

| TMUs | 64 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 16 | N/A |

| Pixel Rate | 76.80 GPixel/s | 12.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 153.6 GTexel/s | 31.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 4.915 TFLOPS | 992.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 9.830 TFLOPS (2:1) | N/A |

| TDP | 50 W | N/A |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2013-03-31 |

| Predecessor | Polaris Mobile | London |

| Successor | N/A | Gem System |

The Verdict

The data points to an unambiguous conclusion: the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is the superior performer in every recorded category. Its 356% lead in Geekbench OpenCL over the HD 8870M is the headline figure, but the supporting specifications reinforce the same narrative. The RX 6500M offers more than four times the FP32 throughput, double the memory bandwidth, a much higher clock speed, and a modern feature set including ray tracing support and DirectX 12 Ultimate.

For users considering a GPU for current-generation gaming or compute workloads, the RX 6500M is the clear choice based on the recorded benchmarks. Its 4 GB of GDDR6 memory and 144.0 GB/s bandwidth position it for modern game assets and compute tasks, while its 16 ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration for supported titles. The HD 8870M, with its 2 GB GDDR5 memory and 72.00 GB/s bandwidth, is limited to older or lighter workloads, and its 992.0 GFLOPS FP32 output places it in a much lower performance tier.

The HD 8870M's only saving grace is its place in the historical record. It was released in 2013 and is now end-of-life, as is the RX 6500M, but the RX 6500M is a far more recent product with a nine-year development advantage. For anyone choosing between these two strictly on the basis of the data, the RX 6500M wins outright, and the HD 8870M should only be considered if legacy compatibility with GCN 1.0-era software is an absolute requirement. The benchmark database shows a single win, but that single win is decisive enough to settle the argument.