ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2
AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
AMDATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Specifications
ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2'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 3870 X2 by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
AMD's ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2'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 3870 X2 by AMD Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2, 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 3870 X2 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
AMD's ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 by AMD Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 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 3870 X2. 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 3870 X2 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 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 3870 X2 Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2
The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 is an AMD card built around the R680 chip on the TeraScale architecture, belonging to the Radeon R600 generation (HD 3800). TSMC manufactured the chip on a 55 nm process, with 666 million transistors inside a 192 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 3.5M per mm². The database records a release date of 2008-01-25 and a launch MSRP of 449 USD. Production status is end-of-life, and the product sequence places the card after the Radeon R500 PCIe and before the Radeon R700. The board uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, and no series designation is recorded in the data.
How It Compares
The nearestRivals list is empty, so there are no direct rival-by-rival comparisons to build from. The only positional metric is percentileVsAllGpus: 50. That places the HD 3870 X2 exactly at the midpoint of every GPU in the database. In percentile terms, half of the recorded GPUs rank above it and half below it. This is a median position rather than a leading or trailing one. Because no benchmark scores are stored, this percentile cannot be tied to a measured performance number. The comparison story is defined by missing data: no nearest rivals, no score deltas, and no concrete performance anchors.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The data explicitly records rtCores and tensorCores as null. There is no dedicated ray tracing hardware or tensor accelerator in this design. Instead, the feature set rests on the TeraScale shader architecture, with 320 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel fill rate is 13.20 GPixel/s, and texture fill rate is also 13.20 GTexel/s, an identical pairing that points to a balanced ROP and TMU arrangement. FP32 compute is 528.0 GFLOPS; FP16 is not listed, so half-precision compute is unspecified. API support is DirectX 10.1 with the 10_1 feature level, OpenGL 3.3 in full, and OpenGL 4.0 in partial form. Vulkan is not recorded, meaning Vulkan-only applications have no supported path on this card. The display outputs are two DVI ports and one S-Video port, an I/O set consistent with the DirectX 10.1-era feature profile.
Power and Cooling
The card has a TDP of 165 W. The suggested power supply is 450 W. Power connectors are one 6-pin and one 8-pin, a requirement that must be met by the chosen PSU. The cooler is a dual-slot design. Physical dimensions are 267 mm in length, 113 mm in height, and 39 mm in width, so the card occupies a substantial amount of case space. Case clearance must accommodate both the length and the dual-slot width. The database does not record any other cooling details, leaving the thermal solution described simply as dual-slot.
FAQ
Q: What DirectX and OpenGL versions are supported?
A: DirectX 10.1 with the 10_1 feature level is supported. OpenGL is supported at 3.3 full and 4.0 partial. Vulkan is not listed.
Q: Does the card include dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores?
A: No. The rtCores and tensorCores fields are null. The available compute resources are 320 shading units, 16 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 528.0 GFLOPS FP32; FP16 is not specified.
Q: How much memory and bandwidth does it have?
A: It has 512 MB of GDDR3 on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 901 MHz / 1802 Mbps effective and a bandwidth of 57.66 GB/s.
Q: What are the power connector and PSU requirements?
A: The card requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector. The suggested PSU is 450 W, and the TDP is 165 W.
Q: Is the card still in production?
A: No. Production status is end-of-life. The launch date was 2008-01-25, with the Radeon R500 PCIe as predecessor and the Radeon R700 as successor.
Q: What display outputs are available?
A: Two DVI outputs and one S-Video output. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16.
Who Should Consider It
The 50th percentile standing is the only score-related signal in the data. It indicates a GPU in the middle of the database population, not a performance outlier. The average benchmark score is 0, so no measured resolution- or settings-specific conclusion can be extracted from the benchmark fields. The practical boundary is therefore set by the memory and API profile: 512 MB of GDDR3, DirectX 10.1 (10_1), OpenGL 3.3/4.0 partial, and no Vulkan. A potential user should look at this card only for workloads that can operate within a 512 MB frame buffer and that do not require Vulkan or dedicated ray tracing. High-resolution rendering with large textures will pressure memory capacity first, while the 57.66 GB/s bandwidth is the secondary figure. The data does not support a confident settings recommendation because no benchmark scores are present to quantify how the card behaves at any particular quality level.
Memory Subsystem
The memory subsystem consists of 512 MB of GDDR3 on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is 901 MHz with an effective data rate of 1802 Mbps, producing a bandwidth figure of 57.66 GB/s. Pixel fill rate is 13.20 GPixel/s and texture fill rate is 13.20 GTexel/s, so the memory pipe is paired with identical pixel and texel throughput figures. In high-resolution contexts, capacity is the most visible constraint. A 512 MB buffer can hold only a limited set of render targets, depth buffers, and textures before spilling past what is physically available. The 256-bit bus provides a reasonably wide path, but bandwidth cannot overcome the capacity ceiling when the working set exceeds 512 MB. For this card, the data points to a design where resolution scaling is gated by memory size rather than by raw data rate.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark section of the data contains no entries. The benchmarks list is empty, the average benchmark score is 0, and the nearestRivals list is empty. As a result, there are no exact percentage deltas to report against any competitor. The only relative number available is percentileVsAllGpus: 50, which places the card at the exact middle of the database's all-GPU ranking. This means it sits above the lower half of the GPU population and below the upper half. What the data does not show is the magnitude of that separation; without measured scores, no lead or deficit can be quantified. The performance record is positional only: a card at the median, with no recorded score to confirm or challenge the rank.
The NVIDIA Equivalent of ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2
Looking for a similar graphics card from NVIDIA? The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 offers comparable performance and features in the NVIDIA lineup.
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