Radeon HD 6790 vs RTXA5000-6Q

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 RTXA5000-6Q 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 RTXA5000-6Q: 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

✅Costs $2,351 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1627.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.5 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 230W, a 80W reduction.

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.

RTXA5000-6Q

2021

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 6790 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so RTXA5000-6Q is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌
1577.9% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 10.5 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌53.3% higher power demand at 230W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6790 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3% in PassMark G3D (1,567 vs 1,522), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

RTXA5000-6Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 40nm, 64 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2011. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6790 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,351 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1627.5% (10.5 vs 0.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6790 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RTXA5000-6Q has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 6790 vs RTXA5000-6Q Technical Specifications

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

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.

RTXA5000-6Q

The RTXA5000-6Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1170 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 8192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 64 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,522 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6790 scores 1,567 and the RTXA5000-6Q reaches 1,522 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6790 is built on TeraScale 2 while the RTXA5000-6Q uses Ampere, both on 40 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 8,192 (RTXA5000-6Q). Raw compute: 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790) vs 27.77 TFLOPS (RTXA5000-6Q).

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	RTXA5000-6Q
G3D Mark Score	1,567+3%	1,522
Architecture	TeraScale 2	Ampere
Process Node	40 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	800	8192+924%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.344 TFLOPS	27.77 TFLOPS+1966%
ROPs	16	96+500%
TMUs	40	256+540%
L1 Cache	0.16 MB	8 MB+4900%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	6 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTXA5000-6Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6790 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	RTXA5000-6Q
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6790 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the RTXA5000-6Q carries 512 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 64-bit on the RTXA5000-6Q. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6790) vs 6 MB (RTXA5000-6Q) — the RTXA5000-6Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	RTXA5000-6Q
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	6 MB+1100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6790 draws 150W versus the RTXA5000-6Q's 230W — a 42.1% difference. The Radeon HD 6790 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 6790) vs 350W (RTXA5000-6Q). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	RTXA5000-6Q
TDP	150W-35%	230W
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	240mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	10.4+58%	6.6

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 6790 came in at $149, while the RTXA5000-6Q launched at $2500. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6790 was 94% cheaper ($2351 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) vs 0.6 (RTXA5000-6Q) — the Radeon HD 6790 offers 1650% better value. The newer card here is RTXA5000-6Q (2021 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon HD 6790	RTXA5000-6Q
MSRP	$149-94%	$2500
Performance per Dollar	10.5+1650%	0.6
Codename	Barts	GA102
Release	April 4 2011	April 12 2021
Ranking	#759	#53

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