GeForce 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6430M

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 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6430M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6430M: 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 6800 GS

2008

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 186W, a 36W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6430M across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 6430M

2011

Why buy it

✅1.1% more average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 256 MB).
✅More future proof: TeraScale 3 (2010−2013) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 0.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌24% higher power demand at 186W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6430M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.1% in average FPS across 47 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (193 vs 192), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce 6800 GS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 6800 GS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 6430M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6430M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 6800 GS

The GeForce 6800 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 192 points.

Radeon HD 6430M

The Radeon HD 6430M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 186W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 193 points. Launch price was $180.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6800 GS scores 192 and the Radeon HD 6430M reaches 193 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 6430M uses TeraScale 3, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 6430M).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6430M
G3D Mark Score	192	193
Architecture	G9x	TeraScale 3
Process Node	65 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	224	1280+471%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6430M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6430M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 GS has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6430M carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 6430M gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 6800 GS and System on the Radeon HD 6430M.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6430M
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	1 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	64-bit	System

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6430M's 186W — a 21.4% difference. The GeForce 6800 GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6430M). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6430M
TDP	150W-19%	186W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	216mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	1.3+30%	1.0

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 6430M (2011 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6430M
MSRP	$249	—
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Cayman
Release	July 15 2008	December 1 2011
Ranking	#825	#598

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