Radeon HD 6790 vs Radeon Vega 10

AMD

Radeon HD 6790

2011Core: 840 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 10

2019Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1301 MHz

Radeon HD 6790 vs Radeon Vega 10 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 6790 vs Radeon Vega 10 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 6790 vs Radeon Vega 10: 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 6790

2011

Why buy it

  • βœ…4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • βœ…Costs $350 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • βœ…Delivers 246.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.5 vs 3.0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • βœ…100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).
  • βœ…Radeon Vega 10 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 6790 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • ❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌1400% higher power demand at 150W vs 10W.

Radeon Vega 10

2019

Why buy it

  • βœ…Draws 10W instead of 150W, a 140W reduction.
  • βœ…More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017βˆ’2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6790 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    234.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.0 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6790 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.4% in PassMark G3D (1,567 vs 1,515), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 6790 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6790 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $350 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 246.4% (10.5 vs 3.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 6790 vs Radeon Vega 10 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon Vega 10

The Radeon Vega 10 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 8 2019. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1301 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,515 points.

⚑

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6790 scores 1,567 and the Radeon Vega 10 reaches 1,515 in the G3D Mark benchmark β€” just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6790 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon Vega 10 uses GCN 5.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 640 (Radeon Vega 10). Raw compute: 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790) vs 1.665 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 10).

FeatureRadeon HD 6790Radeon Vega 10
G3D Mark Score
1,567+3%
1,515
Architecture
TeraScale 2
GCN 5.0
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
800+25%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.344 TFLOPS
1.665 TFLOPS+24%
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
40
40
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 6790Radeon Vega 10
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
πŸ’Ύ

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6790 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 10 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 6790 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6790 and System on the Radeon Vega 10.

FeatureRadeon HD 6790Radeon Vega 10
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
πŸ”Œ

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6790 draws 150W versus the Radeon Vega 10's 10W β€” a 175% difference. The Radeon Vega 10 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 6790) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 10). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 6790Radeon Vega 10
TDP
150W
10W-93%
Recommended PSU
450W
1W-100%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
240mm
β€”
Height
111mm
β€”
Slots
2
β€”
Temp (Load)
80
β€”
Perf/Watt
10.4
151.5+1357%
πŸ’°

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 6790 came in at $149, while the Radeon Vega 10 launched at $499. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6790 was 70.1% cheaper ($350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 3.0 (Radeon Vega 10) β€” the Radeon HD 6790 offers 250% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 10 (2019 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon HD 6790Radeon Vega 10
MSRP
$149-70%
$499
Performance per Dollar
10.5+250%
3.0
Codename
Barts
Raven
Release
April 4 2011
January 8 2019
Ranking
#759
#747

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.