GeForce 405 vs GeForce 6800

NVIDIA

GeForce 405

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 1020 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 6800

2014Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz
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GeForce 405 vs GeForce 6800 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 405 vs GeForce 6800: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 405

2015

Why buy it

  • 2.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $259 less on MSRP ($40 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Delivers 680.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.0 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($40 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
  • Measures 168mm instead of 198mm, a 30mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 127.3% higher power demand at 75W vs 33W.

GeForce 6800

2014

Why buy it

  • Draws 33W instead of 75W, a 42W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 405 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 647.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $299 MSRPvs$40 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 3.0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $40 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 405 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.4% in PassMark G3D (118 vs 113), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 405 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 256 MB of VRAM and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 405 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $259 cheaper on MSRP at $40 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 680.6% (3.0 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 405 vs GeForce 6800 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 405

The GeForce 405 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 118 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 6800

The GeForce 6800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 113 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 405 scores 118 and the GeForce 6800 reaches 113 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 405 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce 6800 uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 405) vs 256 (GeForce 6800). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 405) vs 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800). Boost clocks: 1020 MHz vs 1150 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
G3D Mark Score
118+4%
113
Architecture
Maxwell
Maxwell
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
640+150%
256
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.306 TFLOPS+122%
0.5888 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1020 MHz
1150 MHz+13%
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
40+150%
16
L1 Cache
320 KB+150%
128 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 405 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce 6800 carries 256 MB. GeForce 405 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 405 and 128-bit on the GeForce 6800. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce 405) vs 1 MB (GeForce 6800) — the GeForce 405 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB+100%
0.25 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce 405) vs 9.0c (GeForce 6800). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 2.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
DirectX
10.1+12%
9.0c
OpenGL
3.3+57%
2.1
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 405) vs None (GeForce 6800). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs PureVideo (VP1). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (GeForce 405) vs MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 6800).

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
Encoder
None
None
Decoder
PureVideo VP4
PureVideo (VP1)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
MPEG-2,WMV
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 405 draws 75W versus the GeForce 6800's 33W — a 77.8% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 405) vs 350W (GeForce 6800). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 198mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
TDP
75W
33W-56%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
168mm
198mm
Height
64mm
111mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80
Perf/Watt
1.6
3.4+112%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 405 came in at $40, while the GeForce 6800 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce 405 was 86.6% cheaper ($259 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.0 (GeForce 405) vs 0.4 (GeForce 6800) — the GeForce 405 offers 650% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 405 (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce 405GeForce 6800
MSRP
$40-87%
$299
Performance per Dollar
3.0+650%
0.4
Codename
GM107
GM108
Release
October 27 2015
July 22 2014
Ranking
#671
#832

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