Radeon HD 6790 vs Radeon HD 6850

Speed and memory

The Radeon HD 6790 and the Radeon HD 6850 are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

Both cards have 1 GB of video memory, so memory will not separate them.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Fortnite (26 against 26 fps), and the smallest is in ELDEN RING (6 against 6 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon HD 6790 is rated at 150 W and the Radeon HD 6850 at 127 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the Radeon HD 6790 cost $149 and the Radeon HD 6850 $179. Per dollar, the Radeon HD 6790 gave more performance (1.3 points per $100 against 1.1). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon HD 6790 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon HD 6850 if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.