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.

Radeon 540X 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.

Radeon 540X 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.

Radeon 540X

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.0 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅Radeon HD 6790 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon 540X is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6790 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon HD 6790

2011

Why buy it

✅11.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
50.5% HIGHER MSRP
$149 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 10.5 vs 16.0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6790 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon 540X instead at 1,588 vs 1,567, 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?

Radeon 540X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon 540X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $149, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 52.5% (16.0 vs 10.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 6790 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon 540X vs Radeon HD 6790 Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 540X has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6790 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 6790 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 Radeon 540X and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6790.

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

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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

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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

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon 540X came in at $99, while the Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149. On MSRP, Radeon 540X was 33.6% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.0 (Radeon 540X) vs 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) — the Radeon 540X offers 52.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon 540X (2018 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon 540X	Radeon HD 6790
MSRP	$99-34%	$149
Performance per Dollar	16.0+52%	10.5
Codename	Lexa	Barts
Release	September 5 2018	April 4 2011
Ranking	#754	#759

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