GeForce 6800 vs Radeon HD 6290

CPU

GPU

GeForce 6800

2014Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz

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Radeon HD 6290

2011Core: 830 MHz

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GeForce 6800 vs Radeon HD 6290 Performance Spectrum

GeForce 6800

0.25 GB 33

113

+7.6%

GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

Radeon HD 6290

0.5 GB 375

105

0.0%

Mobility Radeon HD 2300

MOBILITY RADEON X700

Mobility Radeon 4100

Mobility Radeon HD 3470

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 6800 vs Radeon HD 6290 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 vs Radeon HD 6290: 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

2014

Why buy it

✅43.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 33W instead of 375W, a 342W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌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.
❌
498% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6290

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $249 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 455.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 6800 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌1036.4% higher power demand at 375W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 6800 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 43.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7.6% in PassMark G3D (113 vs 105), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 6800 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $249 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 455.7% (2.1 vs 0.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 6800 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 6800 vs Radeon HD 6290 Technical Specifications

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

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 6290

The Radeon HD 6290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 8 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 830 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 105 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6800 scores 113 versus the Radeon HD 6290's 105 — the GeForce 6800 leads by 7.6%. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6290 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6290). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 2.55 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 6290).

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
G3D Mark Score	113+8%	105
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 3
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	256	1536 ×2+500%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	2.55 TFLOPS ×2+333%
ROPs	8	32 ×2+300%
TMUs	16	96 ×2+500%
L1 Cache	128 KB	384 KB+200%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 6800 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6290 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 6290 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 6800 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6290. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6290) — the GeForce 6800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6800) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 6290). OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
DirectX	9.0c	11.2+24%
OpenGL	2.1	4.4+110%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo (VP1) vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 6800) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 6290).

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
Encoder	None	—
Decoder	PureVideo (VP1)	UVD 3
Codecs	MPEG-2,WMV	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 6290's 375W — a 167.6% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6290). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 65°C.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
TDP	33W-91%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	198mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80	65°C-19%
Perf/Watt	3.4+1033%	0.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the Radeon HD 6290 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6290 was 83.3% cheaper ($249 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 2.1 (Radeon HD 6290) — the Radeon HD 6290 offers 425% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 6800 (2014 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 6290
MSRP	$299	$50-83%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	2.1+425%
Codename	GM108	Antilles
Release	July 22 2014	March 8 2011
Ranking	#832	#583

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