Radeon HD 5850 vs Radeon HD 6850

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 Radeon HD 5850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.9% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (2 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6850.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+0.9%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.9%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 6850 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 6850 holds the technical lead. Priced at $25 (vs $30), it costs 17% less, resulting in a 19% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+19%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($30)	✅More affordable ($25)

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

Radeon HD 6850 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 5850 and Radeon HD 6850

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.

Radeon HD 6850

The Radeon HD 6850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 127W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5850 scores 1,955 and the Radeon HD 6850 reaches 1,938 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5850 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon HD 6850 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6850). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5850) vs 1.488 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6850).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
G3D Mark Score	1,955	1,938
Architecture	TeraScale 2	TeraScale 2
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1440+50%	960
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS+40%	1.488 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72+50%	48
L1 Cache	144 KB	192 KB+33%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5850 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6850 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	Radeon HD 6850
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 (Radeon HD 6850).

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
Codecs	H.264	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 5850 draws 151W versus the Radeon HD 6850's 127W — a 17.3% difference. The Radeon HD 6850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 5850) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6850). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 5850	Radeon HD 6850
TDP	151W	127W-16%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Perf/Watt	12.9	15.3+19%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 5850 launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the Radeon HD 6850 launched at $179 and now averages $25. The Radeon HD 6850 costs 16.7% less ($5 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 65.2 (Radeon HD 5850) vs 77.5 (Radeon HD 6850) — the Radeon HD 6850 offers 18.9% better value. The Radeon HD 6850 is the newer GPU (2010 vs 2009).