ATI Radeon HD 3850
AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
AMDATI Radeon HD 3850 Specifications
ATI Radeon HD 3850 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The ATI Radeon HD 3850 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the ATI Radeon HD 3850's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The ATI Radeon HD 3850 by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
AMD's ATI Radeon HD 3850 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The ATI Radeon HD 3850's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 by AMD Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the ATI Radeon HD 3850, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the ATI Radeon HD 3850 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
TeraScale Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The ATI Radeon HD 3850 is built on AMD's TeraScale architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the ATI Radeon HD 3850 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
AMD's ATI Radeon HD 3850 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the ATI Radeon HD 3850 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the ATI Radeon HD 3850 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 by AMD Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the ATI Radeon HD 3850 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
AMD API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the ATI Radeon HD 3850. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The ATI Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the ATI Radeon HD 3850 by AMD represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
ATI Radeon HD 3850 Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About ATI Radeon HD 3850
The ATI Radeon HD 3850 is a 55 nm GPU from AMD, built on the TeraScale architecture with the RV670 chip. TSMC fabricated the chip, which integrates 666 million transistors on a 192 mm² die for a transistor density of 3.5M / mm². The database places the card in the Radeon R600 (HD 3800) generation, with a release date of 2007-11-18 and a launch MSRP of 179 USD. It connects to the host over a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus and is a single-slot design. The entry lists no series label, no codename, and no core clocks; the memory clock is 830 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1660 Mbps. In the all-GPU percentile ranking the card sits at 50, and its average benchmark score is 0.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmarks array is empty. No per-application scores are recorded, and the nearestRivals array contains no objects. The average benchmark score of 0 is therefore a placeholder rather than a measured result. The only comparative rank in the pack is the 50th percentile against all GPUs, which places the entry in the middle of the database's tracked population. Because no nearestRivals objects exist, there are no deltaPct values to report and no rival names that can be cited from the comparison table.
The hardware resources behind the score are documented precisely. The card has 320 shader units, 16 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. FP32 compute throughput is listed at 427.5 GFLOPS, while FP16 throughput is not listed. The texture rate is 10.69 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate is 10.69 GPixel/s. The identical texture and pixel rates are a direct result of the equal 16-unit counts for TMUs and ROPs in the datasheet. These figures define the card's raw execution capacity, but without benchmark scores or rival entries they cannot be translated into a lead or deficit over any specific product.
The 50th percentile rank gives a horizontal position: this part is neither at the top nor the bottom of the all-GPU list. The empty benchmark sample means the rank is based on the database entry's placement, not on an averaged workload. A reader looking for exact percentage deltas will find none in the pack, because the deltaPct data is absent.
Memory Subsystem
The memory subsystem is built around 512 MB of GDDR3 on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is 830 MHz, with an effective transfer rate of 1660 Mbps. Bandwidth is listed as 53.12 GB/s. The 256-bit bus is the path between the GPU and its frame buffer, and the bandwidth figure is the sustained ceiling for memory traffic over that path.
For high resolutions, two numbers matter: capacity and bandwidth. The 512 MB capacity is the only VRAM size listed, so it is the maximum amount of frame and texture data that can be resident at once. The 53.12 GB/s bandwidth is the speed at which that data can be read from and written to the GDDR3 memory. High-resolution rendering pushes both limits. A larger frame buffer holds more high-resolution surfaces, and a higher bandwidth moves those surfaces faster. The data provides no additional memory options; the card is fixed at 512 MB GDDR3 with one bandwidth value.
The memory clock of 830 MHz and the effective 1660 Mbps figure describe the same GDDR3 signaling: the effective rate is what the memory transfers on the bus, while 830 MHz is the listed clock. The 256-bit bus width is what converts that transfer rate into the 53.12 GB/s total. There is no memory size beyond 512 MB, and no alternate memory type in the pack. For high-resolution workloads, the 512 MB buffer is the most restrictive number in the memory subsystem.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The feature set contains no RT cores and no tensor cores. The card is a TeraScale part, and the only programmable execution units listed are the 320 shader units. Without dedicated RT cores, ray tracing is not a hardware-accelerated feature in this entry. Without tensor cores, there is no hardware block for tensor or matrix operations. Any such workload would have to run on the 320 shader units at the listed 427.5 GFLOPS FP32 rate.
API support is limited to the listed set: DirectX 10.1 (10_1), OpenGL 3.3 in full form, and OpenGL 4.0 in partial form. Vulkan support is not present in the pack. DirectX 10.1 with the 10_1 feature level defines the supported DirectX feature profile. The OpenGL 3.3 full and OpenGL 4.0 partial entries indicate that OpenGL compatibility stops at 3.3 for full support and extends only partially to 4.0. The absence of Vulkan is notable because Vulkan is not listed in the API fields.
The display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x S-Video. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16. The feature set is therefore tied to the Radeon R600 (HD 3800) generation's API profile. There is no ray tracing core, no tensor core, and no Vulkan path in the data.
Power and Cooling
The power figures in the pack are direct: TDP is 75 W, and suggested PSU is 250 W. The card requires a single 6-pin power connector. The slot width is single-slot, and the board length is 208 mm / 8.2 in. Height and width are not listed, so the length and slot width are the only mechanical constraints provided.
A 75 W TDP is the power envelope for the card. The suggested 250 W PSU is the database's recommendation for a system built around this card. The 1x 6-pin connector is the only auxiliary power input listed. The single-slot design means the card occupies a single expansion slot. The 208 mm / 8.2 in length is the clearance figure that matters for case installation. No cooler description is included in the data, so the thermal solution is represented only by the 75 W TDP and the single-slot width.
How It Compares
The nearestRivals array is empty. There are no nearest-rival names, no rival scores, and no deltaPct values. As a result, the database has not defined a direct comparison set for this card. The only comparative number available is the 50th percentile against all GPUs, which is a broad rank rather than a head-to-head margin.
In the product hierarchy, the predecessor is the Radeon R500 PCIe, and the successor is the Radeon R700. The card belongs to the Radeon R600 (HD 3800) generation. Its production status is end-of-life, and its release date is 2007-11-18. The PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface and the 2x DVI / 1x S-Video output set are the connection details. Because no nearest rival is recorded, no rival-by-rival paragraphs can be constructed from the data. The entry's position is defined by its 50th percentile rank, its empty benchmark and rival fields, and its predecessor/successor lineage.
The NVIDIA Equivalent of ATI Radeon HD 3850
Looking for a similar graphics card from NVIDIA? The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 offers comparable performance and features in the NVIDIA lineup.
Popular ATI Radeon HD 3850 Comparisons
See how the ATI Radeon HD 3850 stacks up against similar graphics cards from the same generation and competing brands.
Compare ATI Radeon HD 3850 with Other GPUs
Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse GPUs