GeForce 6800 vs Radeon HD 7290

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 7290 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 7290: 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

✅Draws 33W instead of 375W, a 342W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7290 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌
1395% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$20 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $20 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $279 less on MSRP ($20 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1381.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 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?

Radeon HD 7290 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 6800 instead at 113 vs 112, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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 newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $279 cheaper on MSRP at $20 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1381.8% (5.6 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7290 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 7290 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 7290

The Radeon HD 7290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6800 scores 113 and the Radeon HD 7290 reaches 112 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 7290 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 7290
G3D Mark Score	113	112
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	256	2048 ×2+700%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+596%
Boost Clock	1150 MHz+15%	1000 MHz
ROPs	8	32 ×2+300%
TMUs	16	128 ×2+700%
L1 Cache	128 KB	512 KB+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 7290
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 7290 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7290 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 7290. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7290) — the GeForce 6800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 7290
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+33%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 7290's 375W — a 167.6% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 7290
TDP	33W-91%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	198mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	3.4+1033%	0.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the Radeon HD 7290 launched at $20. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7290 was 93.3% cheaper ($279 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7290) — the Radeon HD 7290 offers 1300% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 6800 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon HD 7290
MSRP	$299	$20-93%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	5.6+1300%
Codename	GM108	Malta
Release	July 22 2014	April 24 2013
Ranking	#832	#412

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