Radeon HD 6850
GPU·Budget

Radeon HD 6850

AMD

G3D Mark

1,938

MSRP

$179

AVG Price

$25

October 21 2010
127 Watt
TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)

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.

Overview

The Radeon HD 6850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 21 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 127W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $179.

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Technical Analysis

Detailed breakdown of Radeon HD 6850 specifications and capabilities.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 6850 scores 1,938 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Entry Level tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) architecture (codename: Barts), manufactured on a 40 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 960 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 48 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 1.488 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score1,938
ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generationTeraScale 2 (2009−2015)
CodenameInternal GPU die codenameBarts
Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient40 nm
Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute960
TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling48
ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending32
Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance1.488 TFLOPS
Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second37.20 GTexel/s
PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generationPCIe 2.1 x16
Transistor Count1,700 million
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#692
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 6850 is equipped with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 128-bit memory bus, delivering Unknown of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures1 GB
VRAM TypeMemory technology generationGDDR5
Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidth128-bit
Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate8 Gbps
BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAMUnknown
L1 Cache192 kB
L2 Cache512 kB

Advanced Features & APIs

The Radeon HD 6850 supports modern upscaling and frame generation technologies: FidelityFX Super Resolution — these can dramatically boost effective FPS by generating intermediate frames or upscaling from lower internal resolution.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
FSR Frame Generation❌ Not Supported
AMD Fluid Motion Frames❌ Not Supported
FidelityFX Super Resolution✅ Supported
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Display & Media

Display outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2. Supported codecs: H.264.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
DVI PortsNumber of DVI display connectors2x
HDMI 1.4a PortsNumber of HDMI 1.4a display connectors1x
mini-DisplayPort 1.2 PortsNumber of mini-DisplayPort 1.2 display connectors2x
CodecsSupported video compression formatsH.264
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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6850 draws 127 Watt under load (TDP) — a 500W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 2x 6-pin.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
TDPPower consumption under load127 Watt
Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage500W
Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type2x 6-pin
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Value Analysis

At an average price of $25 (MSRP: $179), the Radeon HD 6850 delivers 78 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #692 among all indexed GPUs.

SpecificationRadeon HD 6850
MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price$179
Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days$25
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#692
Release DateOctober 21 2010
Release Year2010

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