GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 6790

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon HD 6790

2011Core: 840 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 6790 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 4070

12 GB 200

26,919

+1617.9%

RTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

GeForce GTX 1070 SLI

GeForce RTX 5060

RTX 5000 Ada Generation Mobile

GeForce RTX 5070

GeForce RTX 4090 D

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

Radeon HD 6790

1 GB 150

1,567

0.0%

Radeon R7 G

Radeon HD 6750

Radeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual

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 RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 6790 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 RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 6790: 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 RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

✅868.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 327.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.
❌26.7% longer card at 304mm vs 240mm.

Radeon HD 6790

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $450 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 240mm instead of 304mm, a 64mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2011 hardware with 1 GB 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 10.5 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 4070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 868.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1617.9% in PassMark G3D (26,919 vs 1,567), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 4070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 6790 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 40nm, and 46 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?

GeForce RTX 4070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $450 more expensive on MSRP at $599 vs $149, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 327.3% (44.9 vs 10.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4070 vs Radeon HD 6790 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Radeon HD 6790

The Radeon HD 6790 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 840 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,567 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4070 scores 26,919 versus the Radeon HD 6790's 1,567 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 1617.9%. The GeForce RTX 4070 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 6790 uses TeraScale 2, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 800 (Radeon HD 6790). Raw compute: 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
G3D Mark Score	26,919+1618%	1,567
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	TeraScale 2
Process Node	5 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	5888+636%	800
Compute (TFLOPS)	29.15 TFLOPS+2069%	1.344 TFLOPS
ROPs	64+300%	16
TMUs	184+360%	40
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+3525%	0.16 MB
L2 Cache	36 MB+7100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 6790 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6790 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4070 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6790 carries 1 GB. GeForce RTX 4070 gives you 1100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 4070 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6790. L2 Cache: 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6790) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+1100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	504 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	36 MB+7100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 6790). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
DirectX	12.2+9%	11.2 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.3	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070) vs None (Radeon HD 6790). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC (2x)	None
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4070 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 6790's 150W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon HD 6790 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 450W (Radeon HD 6790). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 240mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
TDP	200W	150W-25%
Recommended PSU	650W	450W-31%
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	304mm	240mm
Height	137mm	111mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80
Perf/Watt	134.6+1194%	10.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4070 came in at $599, while the Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6790 was 75.1% cheaper ($450 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) vs 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 327.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4070 (2023 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4070	Radeon HD 6790
MSRP	$599	$149-75%
Performance per Dollar	44.9+328%	10.5
Codename	AD104	Barts
Release	April 12 2023	April 4 2011
Ranking	#32	#759

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