Radeon RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500

AMD

Radeon RX 780

2024Core: 1295 MHzBoost: 2335 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6500

RX family
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Radeon RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500 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 RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500 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 RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500: 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 RX 780

2024

Why buy it

  • 118.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 150.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 38.2 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

  • Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 149.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.2 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Radeon RX 780 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 780 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 118.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (7,658 vs 7,610), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 780 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of Unknown node, 60 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 0. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 6500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $300 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 149.2% (38.2 vs 15.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 6500 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 780 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon RX 780

The Radeon RX 780 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 11 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2335 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,658 points.

AMD

Radeon RX 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 780 scores 7,658 and the Radeon RX 6500 reaches 7,610 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score
7,658
7,610
Frame Generation
FSR 3 + AFMF
FSR 3 + AFMF

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation in supported games, so this part of the feature set is broadly comparable.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
Upscaling Tech
FSR 3
FSR 3
Frame Generation
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon RX 780 and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
System
144 GB/s
Bus Width
System
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_2) (Radeon RX 780) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
DirectX
12 (12_2)
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 780) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: VCN 4.0 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 780) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
Encoder
RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine
None
Decoder
VCN 4.0
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 780 draws 180W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 82.4% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon RX 780) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
TDP
180W
75W-58%
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
172mm
Height
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
85°C
Perf/Watt
42.5
101.5+139%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 780 came in at $499, while the Radeon RX 6500 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6500 was 60.1% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.3 (Radeon RX 780) vs 38.2 (Radeon RX 6500) — the Radeon RX 6500 offers 149.7% better value.

FeatureRadeon RX 780Radeon RX 6500
MSRP
$499
$199-60%
Performance per Dollar
15.3
38.2+150%
Codename
Navi 32
Release
September 11 2024
sem dados
Ranking
#131
#335

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