GeForce Go 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 Go 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 Go 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 Go 6800

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 195W instead of 375W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7290 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 128 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 5.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $20 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅50.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 128 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.
❌92.3% higher power demand at 375W vs 195W.

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 50.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.7% in PassMark G3D (112 vs 106), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce Go 6800 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?

Radeon HD 7290 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. 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 Go 6800 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce Go 6800 vs Radeon HD 7290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce Go 6800

The GeForce Go 6800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 106 points. Launch price was $499.

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.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce Go 6800 scores 106 versus the Radeon HD 7290's 112 — the Radeon HD 7290 leads by 5.7%. The GeForce Go 6800 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7290 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce Go 6800) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce Go 6800) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce Go 6800	Radeon HD 7290
G3D Mark Score	106	112+6%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2048 ×2+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.25 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+26%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz+6%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	32 ×2
TMUs	128	128 ×2
L1 Cache	128 KB	512 KB+300%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce Go 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 Go 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce Go 6800 has 128 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7290 gives you 300% 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 Go 6800 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7290. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce Go 6800) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 7290) — the Radeon HD 7290 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce Go 6800	Radeon HD 7290
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.5 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce Go 6800 draws 195W versus the Radeon HD 7290's 375W — a 63.2% difference. The GeForce Go 6800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce Go 6800) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce Go 6800	Radeon HD 7290
TDP	195W-48%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.5+67%	0.3

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 7290 (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce Go 6800	Radeon HD 7290
MSRP	—	$20
Codename	GK104	Malta
Release	March 22 2012	April 24 2013
Ranking	#410	#412

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