Radeon 540X vs Radeon HD 6790

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The Radeon 540X is positioned at rank #288 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon 540X

#61

GeForce RTX 2070 (móvel)

MSRP: $800|Avg: $350

96%

#278

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

677%

#280

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

614%

#281

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

612%

#285

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

556%

#286

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

553%

#288

Radeon 540X

MSRP: $99|Avg: $40

100%

#289

GeForce 930MX

MSRP: $80|Avg: $25

100%

#291

GeForce MX250

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#292

Radeon 630

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

98%

#293

GeForce MX330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $100

98%

#297

Radeon RX 780

MSRP: $499|Avg: $721

96%

#300

GeForce 940MX

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

94%

#301

GeForce MX130

MSRP: $120|Avg: $50

94%

#302

Arc Graphics 130V

MSRP: $300|Avg: $250

94%

#303

Radeon R5 430

MSRP: $59|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 540X is significantly newer (2018 vs 2011). The Radeon 540X likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 6790 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon 540X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 6790 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.3%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon 540X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $40 versus $149 for the Radeon HD 6790, it costs 73% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 277.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+277.5%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($40)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($149)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon 540X Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 6790 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon 540X and Radeon HD 6790

Radeon 540X

The Radeon 540X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 5 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 980 MHz to 1046 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,588 points.

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

The Radeon 540X scores 1,588 and the Radeon HD 6790 reaches 1,567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 540X is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon HD 6790 uses TeraScale 2, both on 14 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon 540X) vs 800 (Radeon HD 6790). Raw compute: 1.071 TFLOPS (Radeon 540X) vs 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
G3D Mark Score	1,588+1%	1,567
Architecture	GCN 4.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	14 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	512	800+56%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.071 TFLOPS	1.344 TFLOPS+25%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	40+25%
L1 Cache	128 KB	160 KB+25%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 540X comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6790 has 1 GB. The Radeon HD 6790 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon 540X) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 6790). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
DirectX	12+7%	11.2 (11_0)
Vulkan	1.3	N/A
OpenGL	4.5+2%	4.4
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD (Radeon 540X) vs None (Radeon HD 6790). Decoder: VCE vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1 (Radeon 540X) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
Encoder	UVD	None
Decoder	VCE	UVD 3.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 540X draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 6790's 150W — a 100% difference. The Radeon 540X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 540X) vs 450W (Radeon HD 6790). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80.

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
TDP	50W-67%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	240mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80
Perf/Watt	31.8+206%	10.4

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon 540X launched at $99 MSRP and currently averages $40, while the Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149 and now averages $149. The Radeon 540X costs 73.2% less ($109 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 39.7 (Radeon 540X) vs 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) — the Radeon 540X offers 278.1% better value. The Radeon 540X is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2011).