Radeon HD 6310 vs Radeon X1600 XT

AMD

Radeon HD 6310

2011Core: 750 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon X1600 XT

2020Core: 1825 MHzBoost: 2250 MHz
Similar parts
·······

Radeon HD 6310 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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 6310 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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 6310 vs Radeon X1600 XT: 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 6310

2011

Why buy it

  • Costs $149 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 318.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Draws 186W instead of 300W, a 114W reduction.

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 X1600 XT

2020

Why buy it

  • Radeon HD 6310 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1600 XT 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.
  • 298% HIGHER MSRP
    $199 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 61.3% higher power demand at 300W vs 186W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6310 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 5.2% in PassMark G3D (122 vs 116), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon X1600 XT 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 2020 generation instead of 2011. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6310 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $149 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 318.6% (2.4 vs 0.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6310 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon X1600 XT has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 6310 vs Radeon X1600 XT Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 6310

The Radeon HD 6310 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 186W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 122 points. Launch price was $180.

AMD

Radeon X1600 XT

The Radeon X1600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 116 points. Launch price was $999.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 6310 scores 122 versus the Radeon X1600 XT's 116 — the Radeon HD 6310 leads by 5.2%. The Radeon HD 6310 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon X1600 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 6310) vs 5,120 (Radeon X1600 XT). Raw compute: 1.92 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6310) vs 23.04 TFLOPS (Radeon X1600 XT).

FeatureRadeon HD 6310Radeon X1600 XT
G3D Mark Score
122+5%
116
Architecture
TeraScale 3
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
40 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
1280
5120+300%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.92 TFLOPS
23.04 TFLOPS+1100%
ROPs
32
128+300%
TMUs
80
320+300%
L1 Cache
0.31 MB
1 MB+223%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
4 MB+700%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + RSR

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 6310Radeon X1600 XT
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6310 and 64-bit on the Radeon X1600 XT. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6310) vs 4 MB (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon X1600 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 6310Radeon X1600 XT
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%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6310 draws 186W versus the Radeon X1600 XT's 300W — a 46.9% difference. The Radeon HD 6310 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6310) vs 350W (Radeon X1600 XT). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon HD 6310Radeon X1600 XT
TDP
186W-38%
300W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt
0.7+75%
0.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 6310 came in at $50, while the Radeon X1600 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6310 was 74.9% cheaper ($149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (Radeon HD 6310) vs 0.6 (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon HD 6310 offers 300% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1600 XT (2020 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon HD 6310Radeon X1600 XT
MSRP
$50-75%
$199
Performance per Dollar
2.4+300%
0.6
Codename
Cayman
Navi 21
Release
December 1 2011
October 28 2020
Ranking
#598
#35

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.