GeForce 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6450

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 6450 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 6450: 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

✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6450 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB 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.
❌
352.7% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$55 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 3.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $55 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6450

2010

Why buy it

✅1.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $194 less on MSRP ($55 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 366.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.6 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($55 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
✅Measures 168mm instead of 216mm, a 48mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6450 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.1% in PassMark G3D (198 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?

Radeon HD 6450 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $194 cheaper on MSRP at $55 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 366.9% (3.6 vs 0.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6450 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 6800 GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 6800 GS vs Radeon HD 6450 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 6450

The Radeon HD 6450 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 198 points. Launch price was $299.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6800 GS scores 192 and the Radeon HD 6450 reaches 198 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 6450 uses TeraScale 3, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6450).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
G3D Mark Score	192	198+3%
Architecture	G9x	TeraScale 3
Process Node	65 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	224	1408+529%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6450 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
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 6450 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 6450 gives you 100% 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6450.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 6450). OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
DirectX	9.0c	11.2+24%
OpenGL	2.1	4.4+110%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6800 GS) vs UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 6450). Decoder: PureVideo vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 6450).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
Encoder	No	UVD 3.1
Decoder	PureVideo	UVD 3.1
Codecs	MPEG-2	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6450's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce 6800 GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6450). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 216mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
TDP	150W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	216mm	168mm
Height	111mm	69mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	85°C	70°C-18%
Perf/Watt	1.3+30%	1.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 GS came in at $249, while the Radeon HD 6450 launched at $55. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6450 was 77.9% cheaper ($194 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (GeForce 6800 GS) vs 3.6 (Radeon HD 6450) — the Radeon HD 6450 offers 350% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 6450 (2010 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GS	Radeon HD 6450
MSRP	$249	$55-78%
Performance per Dollar	0.8	3.6+350%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Cayman
Release	July 15 2008	December 14 2010
Ranking	#825	#623

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