
Radeon HD 8490 vs Radeon HD 8330E

Radeon HD 8490
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Radeon HD 8330E
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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. The Radeon HD 8490 is positioned at rank 294 and the Radeon HD 8330E is on rank 145, so the Radeon HD 8330E offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8490
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8330E
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 8490 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% 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 8330E.
| Insight | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | Normal Efficiency | Normal Efficiency |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 8330E offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 8330E holds the technical lead. Priced at $5 (vs $35), it costs 86% less, resulting in a 597.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+597.3%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($35) | ✅More affordable ($5) |
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 Radeon HD 8330E

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.

Radeon HD 8330E
The Radeon HD 8330E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 25 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 262 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 8490 scores 263 and the Radeon HD 8330E reaches 262 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8490 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 8330E uses TeraScale 2, both on 55 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 8330E). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8490) vs 1.792 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8330E).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 263 | 262 |
| Architecture | TeraScale | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 800 | 1120+40% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.36 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS+32% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 40 | 56+40% |
| L1 Cache | 160 KB+43% | 112 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| 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 8490 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8330E has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 8490 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon HD 8490) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8330E) — the Radeon HD 8330E has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 12 (FL12_0) (Radeon HD 8330E). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 | 12 (FL12_0)+7% |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.6+5% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs UVD 4.2 (Radeon HD 8330E). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs VCE 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8330E).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD 3.1 | UVD 4.2 |
| Decoder | UVD 3.1 | VCE 2.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 8490 draws 190W versus the Radeon HD 8330E's 175W — a 8.2% difference. The Radeon HD 8330E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8490) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8330E). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 190W | 175W-8% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 168mm | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | — | 75°C |
| Perf/Watt | 1.4 | 1.5+7% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99 MSRP and currently averages $35, while the Radeon HD 8330E launched at $30 and now averages $5. The Radeon HD 8330E costs 85.7% less ($30 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 7.5 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 52.4 (Radeon HD 8330E) — the Radeon HD 8330E offers 598.7% better value. The Radeon HD 8330E is the newer GPU (2010 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | Radeon HD 8330E |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $99 | $30-70% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $35 | $5-86% |
| Performance per Dollar | 7.5 | 52.4+599% |
| Codename | RV790 | Cypress |
| Release | April 2 2009 | February 25 2010 |
| Ranking | #762 | #724 |
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