Radeon HD 4890 vs RTXA5000-6Q

AMD

Radeon HD 4890

2009Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

RTXA5000-6Q

2021Core: 1170 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 4890 vs RTXA5000-6Q 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 RTXA5000-6Q: 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 $2,251 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 919.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.2 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 190W instead of 230W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

RTXA5000-6Q

2021

Why buy it

  • Radeon HD 4890 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so RTXA5000-6Q is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 904% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
  • 21.1% higher power demand at 230W vs 190W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 4890 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (1,546 vs 1,522), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTXA5000-6Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 64 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2009. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 4890 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,251 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 919.8% (6.2 vs 0.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 4890 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RTXA5000-6Q has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 4890 vs RTXA5000-6Q 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.

NVIDIA

RTXA5000-6Q

The RTXA5000-6Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1170 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 8192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 64 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,522 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4890 scores 1,546 and the RTXA5000-6Q reaches 1,522 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4890 is built on TeraScale while the RTXA5000-6Q uses Ampere, both on 55 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 8,192 (RTXA5000-6Q). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4890) vs 27.77 TFLOPS (RTXA5000-6Q).

FeatureRadeon HD 4890RTXA5000-6Q
G3D Mark Score
1,546+2%
1,522
Architecture
TeraScale
Ampere
Process Node
55 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
800
8192+924%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.36 TFLOPS
27.77 TFLOPS+1942%
ROPs
16
96+500%
TMUs
40
256+540%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
8 MB+4900%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
6 MB+2300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTXA5000-6Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4890 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureRadeon HD 4890RTXA5000-6Q
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 4890 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the RTXA5000-6Q carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 4890 gives you 300% 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 64-bit on the RTXA5000-6Q. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4890) vs 6 MB (RTXA5000-6Q) — the RTXA5000-6Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 4890RTXA5000-6Q
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+300%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
6 MB+2300%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4890 draws 190W versus the RTXA5000-6Q's 230W — a 19% difference. The Radeon HD 4890 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 4890) vs 350W (RTXA5000-6Q). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon HD 4890RTXA5000-6Q
TDP
190W-17%
230W
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt
8.1+23%
6.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4890 came in at $249, while the RTXA5000-6Q launched at $2500. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4890 was 90% cheaper ($2251 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.2 (Radeon HD 4890) vs 0.6 (RTXA5000-6Q) — the Radeon HD 4890 offers 933.3% better value. The newer card here is RTXA5000-6Q (2021 vs 2009).

FeatureRadeon HD 4890RTXA5000-6Q
MSRP
$249-90%
$2500
Performance per Dollar
6.2+933%
0.6
Codename
RV790
GA102
Release
April 2 2009
April 12 2021
Ranking
#762
#53

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