Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 6850

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.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 6850 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.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 6850: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro M520

2017

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 25W instead of 127W, a 102W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6850 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
11.7% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.6 vs 10.8 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6850

2010

Why buy it

✅33.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $21 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 13.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.8 vs 9.6 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 1 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 127W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6850 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 33.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.3% in PassMark G3D (1,938 vs 1,913), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Quadro M520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6850 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $21 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.2% (10.8 vs 9.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6850 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro M520 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 6850 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro M520

The Quadro M520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1041 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,913 points.

Radeon HD 6850

The Radeon HD 6850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 127W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro M520 scores 1,913 and the Radeon HD 6850 reaches 1,938 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro M520 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (Quadro M520) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6850). Raw compute: 0.7995 TFLOPS (Quadro M520) vs 1.488 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6850).

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 6850
G3D Mark Score	1,913	1,938+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	960+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7995 TFLOPS	1.488 TFLOPS+86%
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	16	48+200%
L1 Cache	128 KB	192 KB+50%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 6850
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)

The Quadro M520 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6850 carries 1 GB. Quadro M520 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro M520 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6850. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Quadro M520) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6850) — the Quadro M520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 6850
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro M520 draws 25W versus the Radeon HD 6850's 127W — a 134.2% difference. The Quadro M520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro M520) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6850). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 6850
TDP	25W-80%	127W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Perf/Watt	76.5+400%	15.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro M520 came in at $200, while the Radeon HD 6850 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6850 was 10.5% cheaper ($21 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.6 (Quadro M520) vs 10.8 (Radeon HD 6850) — the Radeon HD 6850 offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is Quadro M520 (2017 vs 2010).

Feature	Quadro M520	Radeon HD 6850
MSRP	$200	$179-11%
Performance per Dollar	9.6	10.8+13%
Codename	GM108	Barts
Release	January 11 2017	October 21 2010
Ranking	#695	#692

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