Radeon HD 6870
VS
Radeon RX 640

Radeon HD 6870 vs Radeon RX 640

AMD

Radeon HD 6870

2010Boost: 900 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 640

2019Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1218 MHz

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.

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 RX 640

#313
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
795%
#315
720%
#316
719%
#320
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
653%
#321
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
649%
#323
Radeon RX 640
MSRP: $159|Avg: $55
100%
#326
Iris Pro Graphics P580
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
99%
#327
Radeon E8870PCIe
MSRP: $250|Avg: $200
99%
#330
Arc Graphics 140T
MSRP: $350|Avg: $300
94%
#331
Radeon 680M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80
94%
#333
GeForce 730A
MSRP: $60|Avg: $20
93%
#334
GeForce GT 745A
MSRP: $99|Avg: $20
91%
#335
GeForce 710A
MSRP: $35|Avg: $62
91%
#336
89%
#338
GeForce MX230
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
89%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon RX 640 is significantly newer (2019 vs 2010). The Radeon RX 640 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 6870 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 6870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 640 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

InsightRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
Performance
Leading raw performance (+1.6%)
Lower raw frame rates (-1.6%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) (14nm)
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
Standard Size (247mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 6870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $55 for the Radeon RX 640, it costs 9% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 11.7% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+11.7%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($50)
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($55)

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 6870 and Radeon RX 640

AMD

Radeon HD 6870

The Radeon HD 6870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,206 points. Launch price was $239.

AMD

Radeon RX 640

The Radeon RX 640 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,172 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6870 scores 2,206 and the Radeon RX 640 reaches 2,172 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6870 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon RX 640 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,120 (Radeon HD 6870) vs 640 (Radeon RX 640). Raw compute: 2.016 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6870) vs 1.559 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 640). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1218 MHz.

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
G3D Mark Score
2,206+2%
2,172
Architecture
TeraScale 2
GCN 4.0
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1120+75%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.016 TFLOPS+29%
1.559 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1218 MHz+35%
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
56+40%
40
L1 Cache
224 KB+40%
160 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 640 is support for FSR 3 / AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon HD 6870 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
Upscaling Tech
FSR 1.0 (Software)
FSR 3 (Native)
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR 3 / AFMF (Driver)
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6870 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 640 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 640 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (Radeon HD 6870) vs 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 640). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
DirectX
11.0
12 (FL 12_0)+9%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
4.4
4.6+5%
Max Displays
6
6
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6870) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 640). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6870) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 640).

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
Encoder
None
VCE 3.4
Decoder
UVD 3.0
UVD 6.3
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6870 draws 151W versus the Radeon RX 640's 50W — a 100.5% difference. The Radeon RX 640 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 6870) vs 350W (Radeon RX 640). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
TDP
151W
50W-67%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
247mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
14.6
43.4+197%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 6870 launched at $239 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon RX 640 launched at $159 and now averages $55. The Radeon HD 6870 costs 9.1% less ($5 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 44.1 (Radeon HD 6870) vs 39.5 (Radeon RX 640) — the Radeon HD 6870 offers 11.6% better value. The Radeon RX 640 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2010).

FeatureRadeon HD 6870Radeon RX 640
MSRP
$239
$159-33%
Avg Price (30d)
$50-9%
$55
Performance per Dollar
44.1+12%
39.5
Codename
Barts
Polaris 23
Release
October 21 2010
May 13 2019
Ranking
#661
#665