Radeon HD 2600 XT vs Radeon R5 235X

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 HD 2600 XT vs Radeon R5 235X 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 HD 2600 XT vs Radeon R5 235X: 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 HD 2600 XT

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 25W instead of 80W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 235X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
306.1% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).

Radeon R5 235X

2014

Why buy it

✅13.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 297.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌220% higher power demand at 80W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R5 235X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 2600 XT instead at 283 vs 277, 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 HD 2600 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 235X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 297.5% (5.7 vs 1.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 235X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 2600 XT has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 2600 XT vs Radeon R5 235X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 2600 XT

The Radeon HD 2600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 283 points.

Radeon R5 235X

The Radeon R5 235X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 13 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 277 points. Launch price was $99.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 2600 XT scores 283 and the Radeon R5 235X reaches 277 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 2600 XT is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R5 235X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (Radeon HD 2600 XT) vs 640 (Radeon R5 235X). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2600 XT) vs 1.216 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 235X).

Feature	Radeon HD 2600 XT	Radeon R5 235X
G3D Mark Score	283+2%	277
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	480	640+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.696 TFLOPS	1.216 TFLOPS+75%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	24	40+67%
L1 Cache	48 KB	160 KB+233%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 2600 XT	Radeon R5 235X
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 2600 XT has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 235X carries 1 GB. Radeon R5 235X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2600 XT and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 235X.

Feature	Radeon HD 2600 XT	Radeon R5 235X
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 2600 XT draws 25W versus the Radeon R5 235X's 80W — a 104.8% difference. The Radeon HD 2600 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 2600 XT) vs 350W (Radeon R5 235X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 2600 XT	Radeon R5 235X
TDP	25W-69%	80W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	168mm
Slots	—	1
Perf/Watt	11.3+223%	3.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 2600 XT came in at $199, while the Radeon R5 235X launched at $49. On MSRP, Radeon R5 235X was 75.4% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (Radeon HD 2600 XT) vs 5.7 (Radeon R5 235X) — the Radeon R5 235X offers 307.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 235X (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 2600 XT	Radeon R5 235X
MSRP	$199	$49-75%
Performance per Dollar	1.4	5.7+307%
Codename	Thames	Cape Verde
Release	January 7 2013	February 13 2014
Ranking	#883	#655

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