Radeon HD 6520G vs Radeon HD 2900 GT
Radeon HD 6520G
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 2900 GT
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
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. The Radeon HD 6520G is positioned at rank 165 and the Radeon HD 2900 GT is on rank 661, so the Radeon HD 6520G offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 6520G
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 2900 GT
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 6520G is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.7% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 2900 GT.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.7%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 6520G offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 6520G holds the technical lead. Priced at $5 (vs $15), it costs 67% less, resulting in a 208.2% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+208.2%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($5) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($15) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6520G and Radeon HD 2900 GT
Radeon HD 6520G
The Radeon HD 6520G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 300 points. Launch price was $299.
Radeon HD 2900 GT
The Radeon HD 2900 GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 292 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 6520G scores 300 and the Radeon HD 2900 GT reaches 292 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6520G is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon HD 2900 GT uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,408 (Radeon HD 6520G) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Raw compute: 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6520G) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 GT).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 300+3% | 292 |
| Architecture | TeraScale 3 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 1408+193% | 480 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.253 TFLOPS+224% | 0.696 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 88+267% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 352 KB+633% | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
Both cards feature 512 MB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 6520G) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 2900 GT) — the Radeon HD 6520G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 6520G draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 2900 GT's 25W — a 155.6% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6520G) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 GT). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 200W | 25W-88% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | — | 241mm |
| Slots | — | 2 |
| Perf/Watt | 1.5 | 11.7+680% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 6520G launched at $40 MSRP and currently averages $5, while the Radeon HD 2900 GT launched at $170 and now averages $15. The Radeon HD 6520G costs 66.7% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 60.0 (Radeon HD 6520G) vs 19.5 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) — the Radeon HD 6520G offers 207.7% better value. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2010).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6520G | Radeon HD 2900 GT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $40-76% | $170 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $5-67% | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 60.0+208% | 19.5 |
| Codename | Cayman | Thames |
| Release | December 14 2010 | January 7 2013 |
| Ranking | #623 | #883 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on Radeon HD 6520G and Radeon HD 2900 GT
