GeForce 6800 vs Radeon HD 3470
GeForce 6800
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 3470
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce 6800 is positioned at rank 726 and the Radeon HD 3470 is on rank 315, so the Radeon HD 3470 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 6800
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3470
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce 6800 is significantly newer (2014 vs 2008). The GeForce 6800 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 3470 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 3470 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.5% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (512 MB vs 256 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 6800.
| Insight | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.5%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.5%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 3470 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 3470 holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $50), it costs 70% less, resulting in a 245.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+245.1%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($50) | ✅More affordable ($15) |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce 6800 and Radeon HD 3470
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.
Radeon HD 3470
The Radeon HD 3470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 117 points. Launch price was $299.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce 6800 scores 113 and the Radeon HD 3470 reaches 117 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 3470 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 800 (Radeon HD 3470). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 1.2 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3470).
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 113 | 117+4% |
| Architecture | Maxwell | TeraScale |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 55 nm |
| Shading Units | 256 | 800+213% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.5888 TFLOPS | 1.2 TFLOPS+104% |
| ROPs | 8 | 16+100% |
| TMUs | 16 | 40+150% |
| L1 Cache | 128 KB | 160 KB+25% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 0.25 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce 6800 comes with 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3470 has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 3470 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 3470) — the GeForce 6800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.25 GB | 0.5 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 0.25 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3470). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 9.0c | 10.1+12% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 6800) vs UVD (Radeon HD 3470). Decoder: PureVideo (VP1) vs UVD.
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | UVD |
| Decoder | PureVideo (VP1) | UVD |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,WMV | — |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 3470's 150W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 350W (Radeon HD 3470). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 198mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 33W-78% | 150W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | Legacy | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 198mm | 168mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 3.4+325% | 0.8 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce 6800 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon HD 3470 launched at $60 and now averages $15. The Radeon HD 3470 costs 70% less ($35 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 2.3 (GeForce 6800) vs 7.8 (Radeon HD 3470) — the Radeon HD 3470 offers 239.1% better value. The GeForce 6800 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2008).
| Feature | GeForce 6800 | Radeon HD 3470 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $299 | $60-80% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50 | $15-70% |
| Performance per Dollar | 2.3 | 7.8+239% |
| Codename | GM108 | RV770 |
| Release | July 22 2014 | June 25 2008 |
| Ranking | #832 | #784 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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