GeForce 7900 GTX vs Radeon HD 6490M

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 7900 GTX vs Radeon HD 6490M 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 7900 GTX vs Radeon HD 6490M: 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 7900 GTX

2008

Why buy it

✅6.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Radeon HD 6490M

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.
✅More future proof: TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 7900 GTX 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 0.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 7900 GTX is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (388 vs 378), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 7900 GTX 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?

GeForce 7900 GTX makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 7900 GTX vs Radeon HD 6490M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 7900 GTX

The GeForce 7900 GTX 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: 388 points.

Radeon HD 6490M

The Radeon HD 6490M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 378 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 7900 GTX scores 388 and the Radeon HD 6490M reaches 378 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 7900 GTX is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 6490M uses TeraScale 2, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 7900 GTX) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6490M).

Feature	GeForce 7900 GTX	Radeon HD 6490M
G3D Mark Score	388+3%	378
Architecture	G9x	TeraScale 2
Process Node	65 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	224	960+329%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 7900 GTX gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6490M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GTX	Radeon HD 6490M
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of video memory. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 7900 GTX and System on the Radeon HD 6490M.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GTX	Radeon HD 6490M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	64-bit	System

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 7900 GTX draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 6490M's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon HD 6490M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 7900 GTX) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6490M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GTX	Radeon HD 6490M
TDP	150W	75W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	229mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	2.6	5.0+92%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 6490M (2011 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 7900 GTX	Radeon HD 6490M
MSRP	$499	—
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Blackcomb
Release	July 15 2008	January 4 2011
Ranking	#825	#654

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