Radeon HD 4200 vs Radeon X1600 XT

AMD

Radeon HD 4200

2009Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon X1600 XT

2020Core: 1825 MHzBoost: 2250 MHz
Similar parts
·······

Radeon HD 4200 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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.

Radeon HD 4200 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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 4200 vs Radeon X1600 XT: 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 4200

2009

Why buy it

  • Costs $149 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 284.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.2 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Draws 190W instead of 300W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon X1600 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon X1600 XT

2020

Why buy it

  • 4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Radeon HD 4200 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1600 XT is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 298% HIGHER MSRP
    $199 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 57.9% higher power demand at 300W vs 190W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon X1600 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.6% in PassMark G3D (116 vs 112), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon X1600 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 55nm, 80 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2009. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 4200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $149 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 284.3% (2.2 vs 0.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 4200 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon X1600 XT has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 4200 vs Radeon X1600 XT Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 4200

The Radeon HD 4200 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Radeon X1600 XT

The Radeon X1600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 116 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4200 scores 112 and the Radeon X1600 XT reaches 116 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4200 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon X1600 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 55 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4200) vs 5,120 (Radeon X1600 XT). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4200) vs 23.04 TFLOPS (Radeon X1600 XT).

FeatureRadeon HD 4200Radeon X1600 XT
G3D Mark Score
112
116+4%
Architecture
TeraScale
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
55 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
800
5120+540%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.36 TFLOPS
23.04 TFLOPS+1594%
ROPs
16
128+700%
TMUs
40
320+700%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
1 MB+525%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + RSR

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 4200Radeon X1600 XT
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4200 and 64-bit on the Radeon X1600 XT. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4200) vs 4 MB (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon X1600 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 4200Radeon X1600 XT
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4200 draws 190W versus the Radeon X1600 XT's 300W — a 44.9% difference. The Radeon HD 4200 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 4200) vs 350W (Radeon X1600 XT). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon HD 4200Radeon X1600 XT
TDP
190W-37%
300W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
0.6+50%
0.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4200 came in at $50, while the Radeon X1600 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4200 was 74.9% cheaper ($149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.2 (Radeon HD 4200) vs 0.6 (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon HD 4200 offers 266.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1600 XT (2020 vs 2009).

FeatureRadeon HD 4200Radeon X1600 XT
MSRP
$50-75%
$199
Performance per Dollar
2.2+267%
0.6
Codename
RV790
Navi 21
Release
April 2 2009
October 28 2020
Ranking
#762
#35

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.