GeForce 6800 GT vs Radeon R5 220

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 GT vs Radeon R5 220 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 GT vs Radeon R5 220: 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 GT

2008

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 275W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 220 across 50 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.
❌
1040% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$35 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $35 MSRP).

Radeon R5 220

2013

Why buy it

✅0.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $364 less on MSRP ($35 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1080.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.2 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($35 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 256 MB).
✅Measures 168mm instead of 216mm, a 48mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌83.3% higher power demand at 275W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R5 220 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.5% in PassMark G3D (147 vs 142), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 6800 GT 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 R5 220 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $364 cheaper on MSRP at $35 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1080.1% (4.2 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 220 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 6800 GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 6800 GT vs Radeon R5 220 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 6800 GT

The GeForce 6800 GT 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: 142 points.

Radeon R5 220

The Radeon R5 220 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 147 points. Launch price was $399.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6800 GT scores 142 and the Radeon R5 220 reaches 147 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 GT is built on G9x while the Radeon R5 220 uses GCN 2.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 6800 GT) vs 2,560 (Radeon R5 220).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
G3D Mark Score	142	147+4%
Architecture	G9x	GCN 2.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	2560+1043%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 220 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
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 GT has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 220 carries 1 GB. Radeon R5 220 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 GT and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 220.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	1 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800 GT) vs 11.2 (Radeon R5 220). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
DirectX	9.0c	11.2+24%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6800 GT) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R5 220). Decoder: PureVideo vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
Encoder	No	VCE 1.0
Decoder	PureVideo	UVD 3.1
Codecs	MPEG-2	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 GT draws 150W versus the Radeon R5 220's 275W — a 58.8% difference. The GeForce 6800 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800 GT) vs 350W (Radeon R5 220). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 216mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
TDP	150W-45%	275W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	216mm	168mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.9+80%	0.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 GT came in at $399, while the Radeon R5 220 launched at $35. On MSRP, Radeon R5 220 was 91.2% cheaper ($364 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800 GT) vs 4.2 (Radeon R5 220) — the Radeon R5 220 offers 950% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 220 (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 6800 GT	Radeon R5 220
MSRP	$399	$35-91%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	4.2+950%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Hawaii
Release	July 15 2008	November 5 2013
Ranking	#825	#316

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