Radeon HD 6290 vs Radeon X1950 GT

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 6290 vs Radeon X1950 GT 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 6290 vs Radeon X1950 GT: 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 6290

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).
✅Delivers 177.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon X1950 GT

2022

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 6290 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1950 GT is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌
180% HIGHER MSRP
$140 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.8 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($140 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon X1950 GT is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1% in PassMark G3D (106 vs 105), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

Radeon X1950 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 40nm, 80 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2011. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $90 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $140, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 177.4% (2.1 vs 0.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon X1950 GT has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 6290 vs Radeon X1950 GT Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 6290

The Radeon HD 6290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 8 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 830 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 105 points. Launch price was $699.

Radeon X1950 GT

The Radeon X1950 GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 10 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1925 MHz to 2324 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 335W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 106 points. Launch price was $1,099.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6290 scores 105 and the Radeon X1950 GT reaches 106 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6290 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon X1950 GT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 6290) vs 5,120 (Radeon X1950 GT). Raw compute: 2.55 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 6290) vs 23.8 TFLOPS (Radeon X1950 GT).

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
G3D Mark Score	105	106
Architecture	TeraScale 3	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	40 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1536 ×2	5120+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.55 TFLOPS ×2	23.8 TFLOPS+833%
ROPs	32 ×2	128+300%
TMUs	96 ×2	320+233%
L1 Cache	0.38 MB	1 MB+163%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6290 and 64-bit on the Radeon X1950 GT. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6290) vs 4 MB (Radeon X1950 GT) — the Radeon X1950 GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 6290) vs 9_0c (Radeon X1950 GT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
DirectX	11.2+24%	9_0c
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Decoder: UVD 3 vs Avivo.

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
Encoder	—	Avivo
Decoder	UVD 3	Avivo
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6290 draws 375W versus the Radeon X1950 GT's 335W — a 11.3% difference. The Radeon X1950 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6290) vs 350W (Radeon X1950 GT). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
TDP	375W	335W-11%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	230mm
Slots	—	1
Temp (Load)	65°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.3	0.3

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 6290 came in at $50, while the Radeon X1950 GT launched at $140. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6290 was 64.3% cheaper ($90 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (Radeon HD 6290) vs 0.8 (Radeon X1950 GT) — the Radeon HD 6290 offers 162.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1950 GT (2022 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon HD 6290	Radeon X1950 GT
MSRP	$50-64%	$140
Performance per Dollar	2.1+163%	0.8
Codename	Antilles	Navi 21
Release	March 8 2011	May 10 2022
Ranking	#583	#25

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