GeForce 6800 vs Radeon X1600 XT

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 X1600 XT 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 X1600 XT: 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 300W, a 267W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon X1600 XT 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.
❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon X1600 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.6 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
✅GeForce 6800 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1600 XT is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌809.1% higher power demand at 300W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon X1600 XT 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 and by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (116 vs 113), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon X1600 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 256 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and 80 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon X1600 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 54.2% (0.6 vs 0.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6800 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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 X1600 XT

The Radeon X1600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 116 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 6800 scores 113 and the Radeon X1600 XT reaches 116 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6800 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon X1600 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 6800) vs 5,120 (Radeon X1600 XT). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 6800) vs 23.04 TFLOPS (Radeon X1600 XT). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 2250 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon X1600 XT
G3D Mark Score	113	116+3%
Architecture	Maxwell	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	256	5120+1900%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	23.04 TFLOPS+3813%
Boost Clock	1150 MHz	2250 MHz+96%
ROPs	8	128+1500%
TMUs	16	320+1900%
L1 Cache	0.13 MB	1 MB+669%
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6800 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon X1600 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon X1600 XT
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 X1600 XT carries 512 MB. Radeon X1600 XT 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 64-bit on the Radeon X1600 XT. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 6800) vs 4 MB (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon X1600 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon X1600 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	4 MB+300%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6800 draws 33W versus the Radeon X1600 XT's 300W — a 160.4% difference. The GeForce 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6800) vs 350W (Radeon X1600 XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon X1600 XT
TDP	33W-89%	300W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	198mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	3.4+750%	0.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6800 came in at $299, while the Radeon X1600 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon X1600 XT was 33.4% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6800) vs 0.6 (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon X1600 XT offers 50% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1600 XT (2020 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 6800	Radeon X1600 XT
MSRP	$299	$199-33%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	0.6+50%
Codename	GM108	Navi 21
Release	July 22 2014	October 28 2020
Ranking	#832	#35

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