Radeon HD 4890 vs Radeon Vega 8

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 8 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 8: 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

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 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.
❌
66% HIGHER MSRP
$249 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.2 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌322.2% higher power demand at 190W vs 45W.

Radeon Vega 8

2021

Why buy it

✅24.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Delivers 68.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.5 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
✅Radeon HD 4890 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Vega 8 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 45W instead of 190W, a 145W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2021 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Vega 8 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 and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (1,569 vs 1,546), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon Vega 8 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2009. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Vega 8 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $249, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 68.5% (10.5 vs 6.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 4890 vs Radeon Vega 8 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Vega 8

The Radeon Vega 8 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 13 2021. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,569 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4890 scores 1,546 and the Radeon Vega 8 reaches 1,569 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4890 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon Vega 8 uses GCN 5.1, both on 55 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 448 (Radeon Vega 8). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4890) vs 1.702 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 8).

Feature	Radeon HD 4890	Radeon Vega 8
G3D Mark Score	1,546	1,569+1%
Architecture	TeraScale	GCN 5.1
Process Node	55 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	800+79%	448
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.36 TFLOPS	1.702 TFLOPS+25%
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	40+43%	28
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 4890	Radeon Vega 8
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 HD 4890 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 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 8.

Feature	Radeon HD 4890	Radeon Vega 8
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	64-bit	System

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4890 draws 190W versus the Radeon Vega 8's 45W — a 123.4% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 4890) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated.

Feature	Radeon HD 4890	Radeon Vega 8
TDP	190W	45W-76%
Recommended PSU	500W	1W-100%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Integrated
Perf/Watt	8.1	34.9+331%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4890 came in at $249, while the Radeon Vega 8 launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 was 39.8% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.2 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 10.5 (Radeon Vega 8) — the Radeon Vega 8 offers 69.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 (2021 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 4890	Radeon Vega 8
MSRP	$249	$150-40%
Performance per Dollar	6.2	10.5+69%
Codename	RV790	Cezanne
Release	April 2 2009	April 13 2021
Ranking	#762	#601

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