Radeon HD 6790 vs Radeon 540X

Radeon HD 6790

2011Core: 840 MHz

Radeon 540X

2018Core: 980 MHzBoost: 1046 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 6790

150

1,567

0.0%

Radeon R7 G

Radeon HD 6750

Radeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual

1,588

+1.3%

Radeon R5 430

Radeon R7 M465

Radeon HD 8670D + HD 6670 Dual

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

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.

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 Radeon 540X

#61

GeForce RTX 2070 (móvel)

MSRP: $800|Avg: $350

96%

#278

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

677%

#280

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

614%

#281

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

612%

#285

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

556%

#286

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

553%

#288

Radeon 540X

MSRP: $99|Avg: $40

100%

#289

GeForce 930MX

MSRP: $80|Avg: $25

100%

#291

GeForce MX250

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#292

Radeon 630

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

98%

#293

GeForce MX330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $100

98%

#297

Radeon RX 780

MSRP: $499|Avg: $721

96%

#300

GeForce 940MX

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

94%

#301

GeForce MX130

MSRP: $120|Avg: $50

94%

#302

Arc Graphics 130V

MSRP: $300|Avg: $250

94%

#303

Radeon R5 430

MSRP: $59|Avg: $50

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 540X is significantly newer (2018 vs 2011). The Radeon 540X likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 6790 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon 540X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 6790 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.3%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon 540X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $40 versus $149 for the Radeon HD 6790, it costs 73% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 277.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+277.5%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($149)	✅More affordable ($40)

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 6790 Benchmark Check

Radeon 540X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6790 and Radeon 540X

Radeon HD 6790

The Radeon HD 6790 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 840 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,567 points. Launch price was $149.

Radeon 540X

The Radeon 540X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 5 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 980 MHz to 1046 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,588 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6790 scores 1,567 and the Radeon 540X reaches 1,588 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6790 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon 540X uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 512 (Radeon 540X). Raw compute: 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790) vs 1.071 TFLOPS (Radeon 540X).

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
G3D Mark Score	1,567	1,588+1%
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	800+56%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.344 TFLOPS+25%	1.071 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40+25%	32
L1 Cache	160 KB+25%	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
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 6790 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 540X has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 6790 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 6790) vs 12 (Radeon 540X). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
DirectX	11.2 (11_0)	12+7%
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	4.4	4.5+2%
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6790) vs UVD (Radeon 540X). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs VCE. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6790) vs H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1 (Radeon 540X).

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
Encoder	None	UVD
Decoder	UVD 3.0	VCE
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6790 draws 150W versus the Radeon 540X's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon 540X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 6790) vs 350W (Radeon 540X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 240mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	Radeon 540X
TDP	150W	50W-67%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	240mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	10.4	31.8+206%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149 MSRP and currently averages $149, while the Radeon 540X launched at $99 and now averages $40. The Radeon 540X costs 73.2% less ($109 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 39.7 (Radeon 540X) — the Radeon 540X offers 278.1% better value. The Radeon 540X is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2011).