Radeon HD 8690A vs Radeon Vega 2

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 8690A vs Radeon Vega 2 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 8690A vs Radeon Vega 2: 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 8690A

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌233.3% higher power demand at 50W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 2

2021

Why buy it

✅39.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Radeon HD 8690A is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Vega 2 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2021 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Vega 2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 39.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8690A instead at 514 vs 506, 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 Vega 2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8690A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8690A is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p headroom, Radeon Vega 2 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8690A vs Radeon Vega 2 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8690A

The Radeon HD 8690A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 775 MHz to 825 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 514 points.

Radeon Vega 2

The Radeon Vega 2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 13 2021. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 506 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8690A scores 514 and the Radeon Vega 2 reaches 506 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8690A is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Vega 2 uses GCN 5.1, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 320 (Radeon HD 8690A) vs 448 (Radeon Vega 2). Raw compute: 0.528 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8690A) vs 1.702 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 2). Boost clocks: 825 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
G3D Mark Score	514+2%	506
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 5.1
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	320	448+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.528 TFLOPS	1.702 TFLOPS+222%
Boost Clock	825 MHz	1900 MHz+130%
ROPs	8	8
TMUs	20	28+40%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8690A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 2 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 8690A gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8690A and System on the Radeon Vega 2.

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11_1 (Radeon HD 8690A) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon Vega 2). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
DirectX	11_1	12 (12_1)+9%
Max Displays	0	3

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD 3 (Radeon HD 8690A) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 2). Decoder: UVD 3 vs VCN 1.0.

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
Encoder	UVD 3	VCN 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3	VCN 1.0
Codecs	—	H.264,H.265,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8690A draws 50W versus the Radeon Vega 2's 15W — a 107.7% difference. The Radeon Vega 2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8690A) vs 0W (Radeon Vega 2). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 1mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
TDP	50W	15W-70%
Recommended PSU	350W	0W-100%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Length	1mm	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	70
Perf/Watt	10.3	33.7+227%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8690A came in at $150, while the Radeon Vega 2 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 2 was 100+% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.4 (Radeon HD 8690A) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 2) — the Radeon Vega 2 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 2 (2021 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8690A	Radeon Vega 2
MSRP	$150	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	3.4	Infinity
Codename	Sun	Cezanne
Release	March 1 2013	April 13 2021
Ranking	#891	#601

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