Radeon HD 5850 vs GeForce GTX 460 SE

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 460 SE is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 5850 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.7%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.7%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / Fermi (2010−2014))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 5850 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5850 holds the technical lead. Priced at $30 (vs $50), it costs 40% less, resulting in a 63.9% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+63.9%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($30)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($50)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon HD 5850 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 460 SE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5850 and GeForce GTX 460 SE

Radeon HD 5850

The Radeon HD 5850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,955 points. Launch price was $299.

GeForce GTX 460 SE

The GeForce GTX 460 SE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 15 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 650 MHz. It has 288 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,988 points. Launch price was $160.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 and the GeForce GTX 460 SE reaches 1,988 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5850 is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce GTX 460 SE uses Fermi, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 288 (GeForce GTX 460 SE). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850) vs 0.7488 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 460 SE).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
G3D Mark Score	1,955	1,988+2%
Architecture	TeraScale 2	Fermi
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1440+400%	288
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS+179%	0.7488 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72+50%	48
L1 Cache	144 KB	384 KB+167%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5850 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 460 SE has 1 GB. The Radeon HD 5850 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (Radeon HD 5850) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 460 SE).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
Encoder	—	UVD 4.0
Decoder	—	PureVideo VP4
Codecs	H.264	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151W versus the GeForce GTX 460 SE's 150W — a 0.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 460 SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5850) vs 450W (GeForce GTX 460 SE). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
TDP	151W	150W
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	210mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	12.9	13.3+3%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the GeForce GTX 460 SE launched at $160 and now averages $50. The Radeon HD 5850 costs 40% less ($20 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 65.2 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 39.8 (GeForce GTX 460 SE) — the Radeon HD 5850 offers 63.8% better value. The GeForce GTX 460 SE is the newer GPU (2010 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	GeForce GTX 460 SE
MSRP	$299	$160-46%
Avg Price (30d)	$30-40%	$50
Performance per Dollar	65.2+64%	39.8
Codename	Cypress	GF104
Release	September 30 2009	November 15 2010
Ranking	#682	#683