GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 7990

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 680

2012Core: 1006 MHzBoost: 1058 MHz

Buy on Amazon

Radeon HD 7990

2013Core: 950 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz

Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 7990 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 680

4 GB 195

5,609

+0.8%

GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Radeon HD 7990

3 GB 375

5,566

0.0%

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 GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 7990 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 GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 7990: 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 GTX 680

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 101.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.2 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 195W instead of 375W, a 180W reduction.
✅Measures 256mm instead of 305mm, a 49mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅21.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
100.2% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.6 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 375W vs 195W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 680 instead at 5,609 vs 5,566, 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 GTX 680 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 680 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $500 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 101.7% (11.2 vs 5.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 7990 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon HD 7990 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 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: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 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: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the Radeon HD 7990 reaches 5,566 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7990 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7990). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
G3D Mark Score	5,609	5,566
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 GTX 680 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7990 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
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 GTX 680 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7990 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 680 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) — a 1399.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7990. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 680) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 7990) — the Radeon HD 7990 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s	288 GB/s x2+50%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit x2+50%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 680) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
DirectX	12 (FL 11_0)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	5+25%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 680) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7990).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
Encoder	NVENC 1st gen	VCE 1.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP5	UVD 3.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon HD 7990's 375W — a 63.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 680 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 750W (Radeon HD 7990). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 256mm vs 305mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 98°C vs 85.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
TDP	195W-48%	375W
Recommended PSU	550W-27%	750W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	256mm	305mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	98°C	85-13%
Perf/Watt	28.8+95%	14.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 680 came in at $499, while the Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 680 was 50.1% cheaper ($500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) — the GeForce GTX 680 offers 100% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 7990 (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon HD 7990
MSRP	$499-50%	$999
Performance per Dollar	11.2+100%	5.6
Codename	GK104	Malta
Release	March 22 2012	April 24 2013
Ranking	#410	#412

Search GeForce GTX 680 on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 7990 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.