Radeon HD 8490
VS
GeForce GTX 1060

Radeon HD 8490 vs GeForce GTX 1060

AMD

Radeon HD 8490

2009Core: 850 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

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. The Radeon HD 8490 is positioned at rank #294 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. 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 Radeon HD 8490

#1
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP: $399|Avg: $280
2727%
#2
GeForce RTX 5060
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
2620%
#3
Radeon RX 5600 XT
MSRP: $279|Avg: $180
2589%
#4
Radeon RX 9060
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
2585%
#5
GeForce RTX 5050
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
2580%
#6
GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
MSRP: $249|Avg: $150
2565%
#7
Arc A580
MSRP: $179|Avg: $179
2533%
#8
Radeon RX 9060 XT
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
2523%
#9
Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
2500%
#10
Radeon RX 7600
MSRP: $269|Avg: $250
2493%
#11
Radeon RX 6600
MSRP: $329|Avg: $180
2463%
#12
GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP: $299|Avg: $299
2458%
#13
Arc B570
MSRP: $219|Avg: $219
2414%
#14
Arc B580
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
2412%
#279
Radeon R5 430 OEM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13
3008%
#294
Radeon HD 8490
MSRP: $99|Avg: $35
100%
#295
Radeon HD 8650D
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
99%
#297
Radeon HDG 4670
MSRP: $67|Avg: $15
95%
#298
Radeon HD 3870
MSRP: $219|Avg: $15
95%
#299
Radeon HD 4250
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
92%
#300
Radeon HD 6310
MSRP: $50|Avg: $50
92%
#301
GeForce GTX 295
MSRP: $499|Avg: $50
90%
#302
Radeon HD 4870 X2
MSRP: $550|Avg: $550
89%
#303
Radeon HD 3850 X2
MSRP: $349|Avg: $349
89%
#304
Radeon HD 4290
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
88%
#306
Radeon HD 5450
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
85%
#308
Radeon HD 4200
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
84%
#309
Radeon HD 3850
MSRP: $179|Avg: $179
84%
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

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce GTX 1060 is significantly newer (2016 vs 2009). The GeForce GTX 1060 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 8490 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3726.6% higher G3D Mark score and 500% more VRAM (6 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 8490.

InsightRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-3726.6%)
Leading raw performance (+3726.6%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+500%)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1060 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 1060 holds the technical lead. Priced at $35 (vs $60), it costs 42% less, resulting in a 2132.2% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+2132.2%)
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($35)
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($60)

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 8490 and GeForce GTX 1060

AMD

Radeon HD 8490

The Radeon HD 8490 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 263 points. Launch price was $249.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 8490 scores 263 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 3726.6%. The Radeon HD 8490 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 55 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8490) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
263
10,064+3727%
Architecture
TeraScale
Pascal
Process Node
55 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
800
2560+220%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.36 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+552%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
40
160+300%
L1 Cache
160 KB
960 KB+500%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
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)

The Radeon HD 8490 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 8490) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
6 GB+500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
192 GB/s
Bus Width
64-bit
192-bit+200%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
11.2
12+7%
OpenGL
4.4
4.5+2%
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
UVD 3.1
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
UVD 3.1
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8490 draws 190W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 5.4% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8490) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 173mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
TDP
190W
180W-5%
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
6-pin
Length
168mm
173mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Perf/Watt
1.4
55.9+3893%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99 MSRP and currently averages $35, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 and now averages $60. The Radeon HD 8490 costs 41.7% less ($25 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 7.5 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 167.7 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 2136% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2009).

FeatureRadeon HD 8490GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$99-60%
$249
Avg Price (30d)
$35-42%
$60
Performance per Dollar
7.5
167.7+2136%
Codename
RV790
GP104
Release
April 2 2009
May 27 2016
Ranking
#762
#137