Radeon HD 7800-serie vs Radeon RX 460

AMD

Radeon HD 7800-serie

2012Core: 1000 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 460

2016Core: 1090 MHzBoost: 1200 MHz

Radeon HD 7800-serie vs Radeon RX 460 Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon HD 7800-serie vs Radeon RX 460 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon HD 7800-serie vs Radeon RX 460: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon HD 7800-serie

2012

Why buy it

  • 12.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 217.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $349 MSRPvs$110 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.5 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
  • 166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 460

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $239 less on MSRP ($110 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Delivers 222.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 11.5 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7800-serie across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 7800-serie is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 460 instead at 4,099 vs 4,029, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 7800-serie is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 460 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $239 cheaper on MSRP at $110 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 222.8% (37.3 vs 11.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 460 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7800-serie has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7800-serie vs Radeon RX 460 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

Radeon HD 7800-serie

The Radeon HD 7800-serie is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,029 points. Launch price was $349.

AMD

Radeon RX 460

The Radeon RX 460 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 8 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1090 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,099 points. Launch price was $86.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7800-serie scores 4,029 and the Radeon RX 460 reaches 4,099 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7800-serie is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX 460 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 896 (Radeon RX 460). Raw compute: 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 2.15 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 460).

FeatureRadeon HD 7800-serieRadeon RX 460
G3D Mark Score
4,029
4,099+2%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 4.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1280+43%
896
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.56 TFLOPS+19%
2.15 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
80+43%
56
L1 Cache
320 KB+43%
224 KB
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 7800-serieRadeon RX 460
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7800-serie has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 460 carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 460 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 460) — a 37.1% advantage for the Radeon HD 7800-serie. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7800-serie and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 460. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 460) — the Radeon RX 460 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 7800-serieRadeon RX 460
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
153.6 GB/s+37%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7800-serie draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 460's 75W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon RX 460 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 350W (Radeon RX 460). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None.

FeatureRadeon HD 7800-serieRadeon RX 460
TDP
200W
75W-63%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
None
Length
170mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
20.1
54.7+172%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7800-serie came in at $349, while the Radeon RX 460 launched at $110. On MSRP, Radeon RX 460 was 68.5% cheaper ($239 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.5 (Radeon HD 7800-serie) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 460) — the Radeon RX 460 offers 224.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 460 (2016 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 7800-serieRadeon RX 460
MSRP
$349
$110-68%
Performance per Dollar
11.5
37.3+224%
Codename
Pitcairn
Baffin
Release
March 5 2012
August 8 2016
Ranking
#460
#485

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