ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 vs GeForce GTX 295
Aggregate performance score
We've compared GeForce GTX 295 and Radeon HD 3870 X2, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
GTX 295 outperforms ATI HD 3870 X2 by an impressive 71% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
Place in performance ranking | 754 | 920 |
Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.12 | 0.04 |
Architecture | Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013) | TeraScale (2005−2013) |
GPU code name | GT200B | R680 |
Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
Release date | 8 January 2009 (15 years ago) | 26 January 2008 (16 years ago) |
Launch price (MSRP) | $500 | $449 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
GTX 295 has 200% better value for money than ATI HD 3870 X2.
Detailed specifications
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
Pipelines / CUDA cores | 240 | 320 |
CUDA cores | 480 | no data |
CUDA cores per GPU | 240 | no data |
Core clock speed | 576 MHz | 825 MHz |
Number of transistors | 1,400 million | 666 million |
Manufacturing process technology | 55 nm | 55 nm |
Power consumption (TDP) | 289 Watt | 165 Watt |
Maximum GPU temperature | 105 °C | no data |
Texture fill rate | 46.08 | 13.20 |
Floating-point performance | 0.5962 gflops | 0.528 gflops |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |
Length | 267 mm | 267 mm |
Height | 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm) | no data |
Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
Supplementary power connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
SLI options | + | - |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
Memory type | GDDR3 | GDDR3 |
Maximum RAM amount | 1792 MB | 512 MB |
Standard memory config per GPU | 896 MB | no data |
Memory bus width | 896 Bit | 256 Bit |
Memory clock speed | 999 MHz | 1802 MHz |
Memory bandwidth | 223.8 GB/s | 57.66 GB/s |
Memory interface width per GPU | 448 Bit | no data |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
Display Connectors | Two Dual Link DVIHDMI | 2x DVI, 1x S-Video |
Multi monitor support | + | no data |
HDMI | + | - |
Maximum VGA resolution | 2048x1536 | no data |
Audio input for HDMI | S/PDIF | no data |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
High Dynamic-Range Lighting (HDRR) | 128bit | no data |
API compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
DirectX | 11.1 (10_0) | 10.1 (10_1) |
Shader Model | 4.0 | 4.1 |
OpenGL | 2.1 | 3.3 |
OpenCL | 1.1 | N/A |
Vulkan | N/A | N/A |
CUDA | + | - |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Pros & cons summary
Performance score | 3.13 | 1.83 |
Recency | 8 January 2009 | 26 January 2008 |
Maximum RAM amount | 1792 MB | 512 MB |
Power consumption (TDP) | 289 Watt | 165 Watt |
GTX 295 has a 71% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 11 months, and a 250% higher maximum VRAM amount.
ATI HD 3870 X2, on the other hand, has 75.2% lower power consumption.
The GeForce GTX 295 is our recommended choice as it beats the Radeon HD 3870 X2 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.