Radeon HD 4890 vs Radeon Vega 10

AMD

Radeon HD 4890

2009Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 10

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1301 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 4890 vs Radeon Vega 10 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 4890 vs Radeon Vega 10 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 4890 vs Radeon Vega 10: 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 4890

2009

Why buy it

  • Costs $250 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 104.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.2 vs 3.0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon Vega 10 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 4890 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 10 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1800% higher power demand at 190W vs 10W.

Radeon Vega 10

2019

Why buy it

  • 24.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 10W instead of 190W, a 180W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 100.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.0 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Vega 10 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 4890 instead at 1,546 vs 1,515, 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 4890 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 4890 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 104.5% (6.2 vs 3.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon Vega 10 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 4890 vs Radeon Vega 10 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 4890

The Radeon HD 4890 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: 1,546 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Radeon Vega 10

The Radeon Vega 10 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 8 2019. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1301 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,515 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4890 scores 1,546 and the Radeon Vega 10 reaches 1,515 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4890 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon Vega 10 uses GCN 5.0, both on 55 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 640 (Radeon Vega 10). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4890) vs 1.665 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 10).

FeatureRadeon HD 4890Radeon Vega 10
G3D Mark Score
1,546+2%
1,515
Architecture
TeraScale
GCN 5.0
Process Node
55 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
800+25%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.36 TFLOPS
1.665 TFLOPS+22%
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
40
40
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 4890Radeon Vega 10
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 4890 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 10 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 4890 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 HD 4890 and System on the Radeon Vega 10.

FeatureRadeon HD 4890Radeon Vega 10
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
64-bit
System
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4890 draws 190W versus the Radeon Vega 10's 10W — a 180% difference. The Radeon Vega 10 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 4890) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 10). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 4890Radeon Vega 10
TDP
190W
10W-95%
Recommended PSU
500W
1W-100%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Integrated
Perf/Watt
8.1
151.5+1770%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4890 came in at $249, while the Radeon Vega 10 launched at $499. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4890 was 50.1% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.2 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 3.0 (Radeon Vega 10) — the Radeon HD 4890 offers 106.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 10 (2019 vs 2009).

FeatureRadeon HD 4890Radeon Vega 10
MSRP
$249-50%
$499
Performance per Dollar
6.2+107%
3.0
Codename
RV790
Raven
Release
April 2 2009
January 8 2019
Ranking
#762
#747

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