Radeon R7 260 vs Radeon HD 6970
Radeon R7 260
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 6970
Popular choices:
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R7 260 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 6970 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.2%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.2%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 3 (2010−2013)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | Standard Size (286mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 6970 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 6970 holds the technical lead. Priced at $100 (vs $110), it costs 9% less, resulting in a 7.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+7.7%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($110) | ✅More affordable ($100) |
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 R7 260 and Radeon HD 6970
Radeon R7 260
The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.
Radeon HD 6970
The Radeon HD 6970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 880 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,831 points. Launch price was $369.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R7 260 scores 2,892 and the Radeon HD 6970 reaches 2,831 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 260 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon HD 6970 uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R7 260) vs 1,536 (Radeon HD 6970). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260) vs 2.703 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6970). Boost clocks: 1100 MHz vs 880 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,892+2% | 2,831 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | TeraScale 3 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 768 | 1536+100% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.536 TFLOPS | 2.703 TFLOPS+76% |
| Boost Clock | 1100 MHz+25% | 880 MHz |
| ROPs | 16 | 32+100% |
| TMUs | 48 | 96+100% |
| L1 Cache | 192 KB | 192 KB |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 R7 260 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6970 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 6970 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R7 260) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 6970) — the Radeon HD 6970 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 96 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260) vs 11.0 (Radeon HD 6970). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 6.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_0)+9% | 11.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | N/A |
| OpenGL | 4.6+5% | 4.4 |
| Max Displays | 3 | 6+100% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260) vs None (Radeon HD 6970). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 260) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon HD 6970).
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | None |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | UVD 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC | MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264,MPEG-4,MVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R7 260 draws 95W versus the Radeon HD 6970's 250W — a 89.9% difference. The Radeon R7 260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (Radeon R7 260) vs 550W (Radeon HD 6970). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 170mm vs 286mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 90.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 95W-62% | 250W |
| Recommended PSU | 400W-27% | 550W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 170mm | 286mm |
| Height | 112mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 80-11% | 90 |
| Perf/Watt | 30.4+169% | 11.3 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R7 260 launched at $109 MSRP and currently averages $110, while the Radeon HD 6970 launched at $369 and now averages $100. The Radeon HD 6970 costs 9.1% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 26.3 (Radeon R7 260) vs 28.3 (Radeon HD 6970) — the Radeon HD 6970 offers 7.6% better value. The Radeon R7 260 is the newer GPU (2013 vs 2010).
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon HD 6970 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $109-70% | $369 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $110 | $100-9% |
| Performance per Dollar | 26.3 | 28.3+8% |
| Codename | Bonaire | Cayman |
| Release | December 17 2013 | December 14 2010 |
| Ranking | #591 | #596 |
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