Radeon HD 6990 vs GeForce GTX 860M

Radeon HD 6990

2011Core: 830 MHz

GeForce GTX 860M

2014Core: 797 MHzBoost: 1085 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 6990

375

3,014

0.0%

3,095

+2.7%

GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

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 GeForce GTX 860M

#167

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

351%

#169

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

318%

#170

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

317%

#174

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

288%

#175

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

286%

#177

GeForce GTX 860M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

100%

#179

Radeon R9 360

MSRP: $99|Avg: $55

99%

#180

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (móvel)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $65

99%

#181

GeForce GTX 460M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

98%

#182

Radeon 6750M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

98%

#183

GeForce GT 525M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

97%

#185

Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

97%

#187

GeForce MX550

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 860M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.7% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6990.

Insight	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.7%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.7%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (310mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 860M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 860M holds the technical lead. Priced at $50 (vs $498), it costs 90% less, resulting in a 922.8% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+922.8%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($498)	✅More affordable ($50)

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 6990 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 860M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6990 and GeForce GTX 860M

Radeon HD 6990

The Radeon HD 6990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 8 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 830 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,014 points. Launch price was $699.

GeForce GTX 860M

The GeForce GTX 860M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 13 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 797 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 1152 or 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,095 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6990 scores 3,014 and the GeForce GTX 860M reaches 3,095 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6990 is built on TeraScale 3 while the GeForce GTX 860M uses Maxwell, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 1,152 (GeForce GTX 860M). Raw compute: 2.55 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 1.389 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 860M).

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
G3D Mark Score	3,014	3,095+3%
Architecture	TeraScale 3	Maxwell
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536 ×2+33%	1152 or 640
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.55 TFLOPS ×2+84%	1.389 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2+100%	16
TMUs	96 ×2+140%	40
L1 Cache	384 KB+20%	320 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6990) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 860M) — the GeForce GTX 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 11.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Vulkan: None vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 1.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
DirectX	11.2+2%	11.0
Vulkan	None	1.2
OpenGL	4.4	4.5+2%
Max Displays	5+400%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6990) vs NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6990) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP,H.265 (GeForce GTX 860M).

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
Encoder	None	NVENC 2.0
Decoder	UVD 3.0	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6990 draws 375W versus the GeForce GTX 860M's 75W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 6990) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 860M). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 310mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990	GeForce GTX 860M
TDP	375W	75W-80%
Recommended PSU	750W	350W-53%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	310mm	0mm
Height	115mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	8.0	41.3+416%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 860M costs 90% less ($448 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 6.1 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 61.9 (GeForce GTX 860M) — the GeForce GTX 860M offers 914.8% better value. The GeForce GTX 860M is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2011).