Radeon HD 6990 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
Radeon HD 6990
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Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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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
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is significantly newer (2023 vs 2011). The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 6990 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 6990 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.5% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.5%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.5%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013)) | RDNA 2 (2022−2023) (6nm) |
| 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) | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 6990 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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 6990 and Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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.
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 6990 scores 3,014 and the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU reaches 3,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6990 is built on TeraScale 3 while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 40 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,014 | 3,000 |
| Architecture | TeraScale 3 | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 1536 ×2+200% | 512 |
| L1 Cache | 384 KB | 512 KB+33% |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6990) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 6990) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 0.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 | 12_0+7% |
| Max Displays | 5 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: None (Radeon HD 6990) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: UVD 3.0 vs VCN 3.0.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | None | VCN 3.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 3.0 | VCN 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 6990 draws 375W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 170.4% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 6990) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 310mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 375W | 30W-92% |
| Recommended PSU | 750W | 350W-53% |
| Power Connector | 2x 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 310mm | 1mm |
| Height | 115mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 85 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 8.0 | 100.0+1150% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 6990 launched at $699 MSRP and currently averages $498, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0 and now averages $0. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU costs 100+% less ($498 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 6.1 (Radeon HD 6990) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2011).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6990 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $699 | $0-100% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $498 | $0-100% |
| Performance per Dollar | 6.1 | Infinity |
| Codename | Antilles | RDNA 2 Sephiroth |
| Release | March 8 2011 | November 9 2023 |
| Ranking | #583 | #480 |
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