Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 6290M

NVIDIA

Quadro NVS 420

2018Core: 1227 MHzBoost: 1647 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6290M

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
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Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 6290M Performance Spectrum

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.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 6290M 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 NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 6290M: 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 NVS 420

2018

Why buy it

  • 1.4% more average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Radeon HD 6290M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Quadro NVS 420 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon HD 6290M

2011

Why buy it

  • Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro NVS 420 across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro NVS 420 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.4% in average FPS across 48 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 6290M instead at 140 vs 137, 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?
Quadro NVS 420 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro NVS 420 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 6290M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro NVS 420

The Quadro NVS 420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1227 MHz to 1647 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 137 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 6290M

The Radeon HD 6290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 140 points.

Graphics Performance

The Quadro NVS 420 scores 137 and the Radeon HD 6290M reaches 140 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro NVS 420 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 6290M uses TeraScale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Quadro NVS 420) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6290M). Raw compute: 7.589 TFLOPS (Quadro NVS 420) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6290M).

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 6290M
G3D Mark Score
137
140+2%
Architecture
Pascal
TeraScale 2
Process Node
16 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2304+140%
960
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.589 TFLOPS+481%
1.306 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
144+200%
48
L1 Cache
864 KB+350%
192 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 6290M
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 NVS 420 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6290M carries 512 MB. Quadro NVS 420 gives you 700% 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 NVS 420 and System on the Radeon HD 6290M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro NVS 420) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6290M) — the Quadro NVS 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 6290M
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+700%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Bus Width
64-bit
System
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro NVS 420 draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 6290M's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon HD 6290M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro NVS 420) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6290M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 6290M
TDP
100W
75W-25%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
160mm
Slots
1
Perf/Watt
1.4
1.9+36%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro NVS 420 (2018 vs 2011).

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 6290M
MSRP
$0
Codename
GP104
Blackcomb
Release
February 21 2018
January 4 2011
Ranking
#266
#654

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