Radeon HD 6970 vs Radeon R7 260
Radeon HD 6970
Popular choices:
Radeon R7 260
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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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R7 260 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 6970 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.2%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (286mm) | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 6970 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 6970 holds the technical lead. Priced at $100 (vs $110), it costs 9% less, resulting in a 7.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+7.7%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($100) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($110) |
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 6970 and Radeon R7 260
Radeon HD 6970
The Radeon HD 6970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 880 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,831 points. Launch price was $369.
Radeon R7 260
The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 6970 scores 2,831 and the Radeon R7 260 reaches 2,892 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6970 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon R7 260 uses GCN 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 6970) vs 768 (Radeon R7 260). Raw compute: 2.703 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260). Boost clocks: 880 MHz vs 1100 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,831 | 2,892+2% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 3 | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1536+100% | 768 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.703 TFLOPS+76% | 1.536 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 880 MHz | 1100 MHz+25% |
| ROPs | 32+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 96+100% | 48 |
| L1 Cache | 192 KB | 192 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 6970 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 260 has 1 GB. The Radeon HD 6970 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 6970) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 260) — the Radeon HD 6970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB+100% | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | 96 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.0 (Radeon HD 6970) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 3.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.0 | 12 (12_0)+9% |
| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6+5% |
| Max Displays | 6+100% | 3 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6970) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6970) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 3.0 | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 6970 draws 250W versus the Radeon R7 260's 95W — a 89.9% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (Radeon HD 6970) vs 400W (Radeon R7 260). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 286mm vs 170mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 90 vs 80.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 250W | 95W-62% |
| Recommended PSU | 550W | 400W-27% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 286mm | 170mm |
| Height | 111mm | 112mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 90 | 80-11% |
| Perf/Watt | 11.3 | 30.4+169% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 6970 launched at $369 MSRP and currently averages $100, while the Radeon R7 260 launched at $109 and now averages $110. The Radeon HD 6970 costs 9.1% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 28.3 (Radeon HD 6970) vs 26.3 (Radeon R7 260) — the Radeon HD 6970 offers 7.6% better value. The Radeon R7 260 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2010).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6970 | Radeon R7 260 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $369 | $109-70% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $100-9% | $110 |
| Performance per Dollar | 28.3+8% | 26.3 |
| Codename | Cayman | Bonaire |
| Release | December 14 2010 | December 17 2013 |
| Ranking | #596 | #591 |
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