GRID M40 vs Radeon HD 6850 X2

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.

GRID M40 vs Radeon HD 6850 X2 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.

GRID M40 vs Radeon HD 6850 X2: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GRID M40

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 254W, a 204W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
185.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$350 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.5 vs 7.2 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6850 X2

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $650 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 189.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.2 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌408% higher power demand at 254W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6850 X2 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (2,534 vs 2,500), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GRID M40 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6850 X2 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $650 cheaper on MSRP at $350 vs $1,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 189.6% (7.2 vs 2.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6850 X2 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID M40 has the stronger long-term case.

GRID M40 vs Radeon HD 6850 X2 Technical Specifications

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

GRID M40

The GRID M40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1033 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,500 points.

Radeon HD 6850 X2

The Radeon HD 6850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,534 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GRID M40 scores 2,500 and the Radeon HD 6850 X2 reaches 2,534 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID M40 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GRID M40) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6850 X2). Raw compute: 0.7933 TFLOPS (GRID M40) vs 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 6850 X2).

Feature	GRID M40	Radeon HD 6850 X2
G3D Mark Score	2,500	2,534+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	960 ×2+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7933 TFLOPS	1.536 TFLOPS ×2+94%
ROPs	16	32 ×2+100%
TMUs	32	48 ×2+50%
L1 Cache	192 KB	192 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GRID M40	Radeon HD 6850 X2
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID M40 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6850 X2. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID M40) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6850 X2) — the GRID M40 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GRID M40	Radeon HD 6850 X2
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID M40 draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 6850 X2's 254W — a 134.2% difference. The GRID M40 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID M40) vs 600W (Radeon HD 6850 X2). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 8-pin.

Feature	GRID M40	Radeon HD 6850 X2
TDP	50W-80%	254W
Recommended PSU	350W-42%	600W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 8-pin
Length	—	285mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	50.0+400%	10.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID M40 came in at $1000, while the Radeon HD 6850 X2 launched at $350. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6850 X2 was 65% cheaper ($650 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.5 (GRID M40) vs 7.2 (Radeon HD 6850 X2) — the Radeon HD 6850 X2 offers 188% better value. The newer card here is GRID M40 (2016 vs 2011).

Feature	GRID M40	Radeon HD 6850 X2
MSRP	$1000	$350-65%
Performance per Dollar	2.5	7.2+188%
Codename	GM107	Barts
Release	May 18 2016	September 19 2011
Ranking	#742	#630

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