Radeon HD 8790M vs Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U

AMD

Radeon HD 8790M

2013Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U

2018Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon HD 8790M vs Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U 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 8790M vs Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U 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 8790M vs Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U: 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 8790M

2013

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 8790M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB 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 6 Ryzen 3 3300U

2018

Why buy it

  • 48.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2018 hardware with Unknown 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 Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 48.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.2% in PassMark G3D (1,348 vs 1,306), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 8790M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8790M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8790M vs Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon HD 8790M

The Radeon HD 8790M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,306 points.

AMD

Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U

The Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2018. It features the Vega architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,348 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8790M scores 1,306 and the Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U reaches 1,348 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8790M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U uses Vega, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 384 (Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MRadeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U
G3D Mark Score
1,306
1,348+3%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Vega
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6912 TFLOPS
1.306 TFLOPS+89%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1100 MHz+22%
ROPs
8
8
TMUs
24
24
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MRadeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U
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 8790M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 8790M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD 8790M and System on the Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MRadeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
System
System
Bus Width
System
System
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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8790M draws 50W versus the Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U's 15W — a 107.7% difference. The Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8790M) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MRadeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U
TDP
50W
15W-70%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
26.1
89.9+244%
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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U (2018 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon HD 8790MRadeon Vega 6 Ryzen 3 3300U
MSRP
$0
Codename
Mars
Vega Raven Ridge
Release
April 1 2013
January 7 2018
Ranking
#797
#831

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