Radeon HD 7700-serie
VS
Radeon HD 6850

Radeon HD 7700-serie vs Radeon HD 6850

AMD

Radeon HD 7700-serie

2012Boost: 925 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6850

2010

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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 6850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (1 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7700-serie.

InsightRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-2.1%)
Leading raw performance (+2.1%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 6850 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 6850 holds the technical lead. Priced at $25 (vs $35), it costs 29% less, resulting in a 42.9% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+42.9%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($35)
More affordable ($25)

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 7700-serie and Radeon HD 6850

AMD

Radeon HD 7700-serie

The Radeon HD 7700-serie is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,899 points. Launch price was $549.

AMD

Radeon HD 6850

The Radeon HD 6850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 127W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $179.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7700-serie scores 1,899 and the Radeon HD 6850 reaches 1,938 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7700-serie is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 6850 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7700-serie) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6850). Raw compute: 3.789 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7700-serie) vs 1.488 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6850).

FeatureRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
G3D Mark Score
1,899
1,938+2%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2048+113%
960
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.789 TFLOPS+155%
1.488 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128+167%
48
L1 Cache
512 KB+167%
192 KB
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
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 7700-serie comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6850 has 1 GB. The Radeon HD 6850 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 7700-serie) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 6850) — the Radeon HD 7700-serie has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7700-serie draws 250W versus the Radeon HD 6850's 127W — a 65.3% difference. The Radeon HD 6850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 7700-serie) vs 500W (Radeon HD 6850). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
TDP
250W
127W-49%
Recommended PSU
450W-10%
500W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
2x 6-pin
Perf/Watt
7.6
15.3+101%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7700-serie launched at $159 MSRP and currently averages $35, while the Radeon HD 6850 launched at $179 and now averages $25. The Radeon HD 6850 costs 28.6% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 54.3 (Radeon HD 7700-serie) vs 77.5 (Radeon HD 6850) — the Radeon HD 6850 offers 42.7% better value. The Radeon HD 7700-serie is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2010).

FeatureRadeon HD 7700-serieRadeon HD 6850
MSRP
$159-11%
$179
Avg Price (30d)
$35
$25-29%
Performance per Dollar
54.3
77.5+43%
Codename
Tahiti
Barts
Release
January 9 2012
October 21 2010
Ranking
#431
#692