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AMD Radeon HD 6850 Review | 118 Data compared

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  • Avg. price in UK: ~£140
  • Avg. price in US: ~$180
  • VRAM: 1 GB
  • Memory bus width: 256 bit
  • Thermal Design Power (TDP): 127 W

AMD Radeon HD 6850 review. Compare 118 technical specifications and user reviews to see how it ranks among graphics cards and if it is worth buying.

3.7

Overall score

What it is: An overall evaluation of the graphics card's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.

When it matters: When you need a quick reference to identify the best graphics cards on the market.

Score components:

90.0%

3.3

Technical Score

10.0%

7.4

User score

Poor
3.3

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the graphics card's technical performance, covering key areas such as gaming and rendering performance, ray tracing, memory configuration, power efficiency, cooling, connectivity, features, and build quality.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

1.3

Performance

24.0%

3.1

Memory

12.0%

7.2

Power & Cooling

11.0%

4.5

Platform & Features

5.0%

8.6

Design

4.0%

5.6

Connectivity & Media

Poor
7.4

User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

8.2

User reviews

30.0%

5.3

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
(6)
amazon
5.0
(3)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
3.9
(53)
Amazon_logo.png
4.8
(14)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(6)

(Reviews last updated: June 2026)

Very good
  • 6.1
    Gaming

    Score components:

    45.0%

    ?

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    1.0

    VRAM

    20.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    6.4

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 5.3
    Video editing

    Score components:

    35.0%

    7.0

    AV1 encode

    30.0%

    1.0

    VRAM

    20.0%

    ?

    Floating-point performance

    15.0%

    6.4

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 6.1
    1080p

    Score components:

    55.0%

    ?

    Floating-point performance

    25.0%

    1.0

    VRAM

    10.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    10.0%

    6.4

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 5.8
    1440p

    Score components:

    50.0%

    ?

    Floating-point performance

    30.0%

    1.0

    VRAM

    15.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    6.4

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

  • 5.5
    4K

    Score components:

    40.0%

    ?

    Floating-point performance

    35.0%

    1.0

    VRAM

    20.0%

    ?

    Ray tracing cores / units

    5.0%

    6.4

    PCI Express (PCIe) version

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Best rankings

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Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).
All: ranking among all products in the database.

Verdict

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 is a mid-range graphics card based on the 40nm 'Barts' architecture, featuring 960 shading units, a 775 MHz core clock, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit interface. It is notable for its excellent performance-to-price ratio at launch, low power consumption requiring only a single 6-pin connector, and support for advanced display technologies like AMD Eyefinity for up to six monitors and HDMI 1.4a for 3D content. However, its main drawbacks include a lack of support for modern APIs like Vulkan and newer DirectX versions beyond 11.2, limited 1 GB VRAM which struggles with modern high-resolution textures, and the end of official driver support in 2016.

Technical Specifications of AMD Radeon HD 6850

Technical Score

What it is: An assessment of the graphics card's technical performance, covering key areas such as gaming and rendering performance, ray tracing, memory configuration, power efficiency, cooling, connectivity, features, and build quality.

When it matters: When you want to compare graphics cards based on technical performance and available features.

Score components:

44.0%

1.3

Performance

24.0%

3.1

Memory

12.0%

7.2

Power & Cooling

11.0%

4.5

Platform & Features

5.0%

8.6

Design

4.0%

5.6

Connectivity & Media

3.3
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a technical score of 3.32 points, which is lower than that of 95.1% of products in this category.
User score

What it is: A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the graphics card.

When it matters: When you want to understand how a graphics card performs in real use and how reliable it is in terms of performance, temperatures, noise, stability, and long-term ownership.

Score components:

70.0%

8.2

User reviews

30.0%

5.3

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
(6)
amazon
5.0
(3)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
3.9
(53)
Amazon_logo.png
4.8
(14)
Amazon_logo.png
4.0
(6)

(Reviews last updated: June 2026)

7.4
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a user score of 7.37 points, which is lower than that of 86.1% of products in this category.
Popularity
What it is: An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you prefer a graphics card that has already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
5.3
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a popularity of 5.3 points, which is higher than 62.9% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price

What it is: An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.

When it matters: When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.

Score components:

60.0%

3.7

Overall score

40.0%

9.8

Price

5.5
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a quality-to-price ratio of 5.5 points, which is lower than 90.9% of products in this category.
3DMark Time Spy benchmark score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Time Spy, a synthetic DirectX 12 test often used as a quick gaming-performance reference.
When it matters: When you need a fast rough performance sort before digging into game-specific reviews and frame-rate data.

Importance: LOW

?
3DMark Port Royal score
What it is: Benchmark result from 3DMark Port Royal, a synthetic test focused on ray tracing performance.
When it matters: When ray tracing matters in the games you actually play and you want one quick way to separate stronger and weaker RT cards.

Importance: LOW

N/A
PassMark (G3D) result
What it is: Overall GPU performance score in PassMark G3D benchmark
When it matters: When you need one broad score to sort cards into rough performance tiers.

Importance: LOW

2,232 points
AMD Radeon HD 6850 scores 2232 points in PassMark G3D, which is lower than 83.3% of graphics cards.
PassMark (DirectCompute) result
What it is: PassMark score for DirectCompute performance tests
When it matters: When compute workloads matter alongside gaming performance.

Importance: LOW

890 points
AMD Radeon HD 6850 scores 890 points in PassMark DirectCompute, which is lower than 88.7% of graphics cards.
Floating-point performance
What it is: Theoretical floating-point compute performance of the GPU.
When it matters: When rendering, AI, or heavy compute work needs strong single-precision throughput.

Importance: LOW

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VRAM
What it is: Total video memory available on the graphics card
When it matters: When you play at high settings, use texture mods, or work with large creative projects.

Importance: HIGH

1 GB
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has 1 GB of VRAM, which is less than 98.5% of graphics cards and equal to 1.5% of graphics cards.
Memory type
What it is: Type of graphics memory used (GDDR6, HBM2e, etc.)
When it matters: When memory technology is part of the buying decision because it affects bandwidth class, power use, and product positioning.

Importance: LOW

GDDR5
GDDR version
What it is: Generation of GDDR memory used by the graphics card.
When it matters: When you want to separate older memory generations from newer ones before comparing bandwidth, power behavior, and market tier.

Importance: LOW

GDDR5
AMD Radeon HD 6850 uses GDDR5 memory, which is older than on 85% of graphics cards and equal to 13.2% of graphics cards.
Memory bus width
What it is: Width of the memory interface bus in bits
When it matters: When you care about steadier performance at higher resolutions, heavier texture settings, or ray-traced workloads that stress memory traffic.

Importance: HIGH

256 bit
AMD Radeon HD 6850 uses a 256 bit memory bus, which is wider than that of 49.5% of graphics cards and equal to that of 36.1% of graphics cards.
Maximum memory bandwidth
What it is: Maximum data transfer rate between GPU and its memory
When it matters: When 4K gaming, ray tracing, or creator work can choke a slower memory subsystem.

Importance: HIGH

128.0 GB/s
AMD Radeon HD 6850 reaches 128.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, which is lower than that of 92.7% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.7% of graphics cards.
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PCI Express (PCIe) version
What it is: Version of PCI Express interface supported
When it matters: When you are pairing the card with an older motherboard and want to avoid leaving bandwidth or future compatibility on the table.

Importance: LOW

2.1
AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports PCIe 2.1, which is older than on 97.9% of graphics cards and equal to 0.4% of graphics cards.
PCIe lanes
What it is: Number of PCI Express lanes used for communication
When it matters: When limited lane width could bottleneck the card in some systems.

Importance: LOW

x16
AMD Radeon HD 6850 uses x16 PCIe lanes, which is more than 31.5% of graphics cards and equal to 68.6% of graphics cards.
DirectX version
What it is: Highest supported DirectX API version
When it matters: When you play newer Windows games that depend on the latest graphics features.

Importance: LOW

?
Vulkan version
What it is: Highest supported Vulkan API version
When it matters: When modern games, emulators, or creative apps lean on Vulkan support.

Importance: LOW

N/A
OpenGL version
What it is: Highest supported OpenGL API version
When it matters: When older games or pro apps still depend on OpenGL compatibility.

Importance: LOW

4.4
AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports OpenGL 4.4, which is older than on 98.6% of graphics cards and equal to 0.6% of graphics cards.
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Max displays supported
What it is: Total number of external displays supported simultaneously
When it matters: When you run a multi-monitor desk for sim racing, trading, or editing.

Importance: LOW

3
AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports up to 3 displays, which is fewer than 92.3% of graphics cards and equal to 5.8% of graphics cards.
Max digital resolution
What it is: Maximum supported digital display resolution
When it matters: When you plan to drive 4K or 8K panels at their native resolution.

Importance: LOW

2560x1600
AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports a maximum digital resolution of 2560x1600, which is lower than that of 59.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 1.1% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort outputs
What it is: Number of DisplayPort video outputs
When it matters: When your setup needs several high-refresh monitors without adapters.

Importance: LOW

2
AMD Radeon HD 6850 offers 2 DisplayPort outputs, which is fewer than 79.2% of graphics cards and equal to 10.2% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort version
What it is: Version of DisplayPort standard supported
When it matters: When your monitor setup depends on newer DisplayPort features for higher refresh rates, higher resolution, or better cable flexibility.

Importance: LOW

1.2
AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports DisplayPort 1.2, which is older than on 93.6% of graphics cards and equal to 4.8% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort link rates
What it is: Supported data link rates for DisplayPort connections
When it matters: When you are pushing high resolution and refresh rate over DisplayPort.

Importance: LOW

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Thermal Design Power (TDP)
What it is: Typical power consumption under full load (TDP)
When it matters: When you need a realistic idea of power draw before choosing a PSU or case.

Importance: MEDIUM

127 W
AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a TDP of 127 W, which is lower than that of 82.7% of graphics cards.
Power consumption while under peak load
What it is: Peak power draw of the graphics card under maximum load.
When it matters: When transient-heavy gaming loads could stress your power supply.

Importance: LOW

127 W
AMD Radeon HD 6850 draws 127 W under peak load, which is lower than 83.4% of graphics cards and equal to 0.2% of graphics cards.
Recommended PSU wattage
What it is: Recommended wattage of the system power supply
When it matters: When you are checking whether your current power supply is enough.

Importance: LOW

450 W
AMD Radeon HD 6850 recommends a 450 W PSU, which is lower than that of 85.8% of graphics cards and equal to that of 5.8% of graphics cards.
Board power limit
What it is: Maximum configurable power limit for the GPU board
When it matters: When you care about how far the card can be pushed through tuning or factory power settings.

Importance: LOW

?
PCIe power spec
What it is: PCIe power delivery specification followed
When it matters: When you are checking whether the slot and external cables match the card's intended power-delivery standard.

Importance: LOW

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Size
What it is: Physical size of the GPU card
When it matters: When you need the card to fit a compact case without blocking nearby hardware.

Importance: LOW

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Length
What it is: Physical length of the GPU card
When it matters: When front radiators or drive cages leave only limited GPU clearance.

Importance: LOW

198 mm
AMD Radeon HD 6850 is 198 mm long, which is shorter than 91.1% of graphics cards and equal in length to 0.2% of graphics cards.
Height
What it is: Physical height of the GPU card
When it matters: When side panels, brackets, or tight case layouts reduce vertical clearance.

Importance: LOW

111 mm
AMD Radeon HD 6850 is 111 mm tall, which is shorter than 89.6% of graphics cards and equal in height to 5.6% of graphics cards.
Slot width
What it is: Number of PCIe slots occupied by the card
When it matters: When you need room for another PCIe card or better airflow under the GPU.

Importance: LOW

2 slot/s
AMD Radeon HD 6850 occupies 2 slot/s, which is slimmer than 49.2% of graphics cards and equal in width to 47.3% of graphics cards.
Weight
What it is: Total weight of the graphics card
When it matters: When sag, bracket support, or shipping stress matters in your build.

Importance: LOW

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AMD Radeon HD 6850 vs the average graphics card

  • 40.9% lower TDP
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (127 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    What it is: Typical power consumption under full load (TDP)
    When it matters: When you need a realistic idea of power draw before choosing a PSU or case.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (127 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.127 W vs 215 W
  • 16x larger L2 cache
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more L2 cache than the average graphics card (512 MB vs 32 MB). The average graphics card has 32 MB L2 cache.
    What it is: Total size of the GPU’s L2 cache memory
    When it matters: When cache size can help the GPU feed data faster in demanding scenes.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more L2 cache than the average graphics card (512 MB vs 32 MB). The average graphics card has 32 MB L2 cache.512 MB vs 32 MB
  • 30.8% lower PSU requirement
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (450 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
    What it is: Recommended wattage of the system power supply
    When it matters: When you are checking whether your current power supply is enough.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (450 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.450 W vs 650 W
  • 87.37 mm shorter card length
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (198 mm vs 285.37 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285.37 mm.
    What it is: Physical length of the GPU card
    When it matters: When front radiators or drive cages leave only limited GPU clearance.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (198 mm vs 285.37 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285.37 mm.198 mm vs 285.37 mm
  • 16 mm lower card height
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (111 mm vs 127 mm). The average graphics card has a height of 127 mm.
    What it is: Physical height of the GPU card
    When it matters: When side panels, brackets, or tight case layouts reduce vertical clearance.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (111 mm vs 127 mm). The average graphics card has a height of 127 mm.111 mm vs 127 mm
  • 2 more DVI outputs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more DVI outputs than the average graphics card (2 vs 0). The average graphics card has 0 DVI outputs.
    What it is: Number of DVI display outputs available
    When it matters: When you still use an older monitor that depends on DVI.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more DVI outputs than the average graphics card (2 vs 0). The average graphics card has 0 DVI outputs.2 vs 0
  • 3.79x cheaper
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is cheaper than the average graphics card (£140 vs £530).
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is cheaper than the average graphics card (£140 vs £530).£140 vs £530
  • Better FP64 ratio
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a better FP64 ratio than the average graphics card (1:16 vs 1:64).
    What it is: Ratio of double-precision (FP64) to single-precision (FP32) performance
    When it matters: When you need to know whether FP64 is merely present or genuinely useful.

    Importance: LOW

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a better FP64 ratio than the average graphics card (1:16 vs 1:64).1:16 vs 1:64
  • Better FP64 ratio
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a better FP64 ratio than the average graphics card (1:16 vs 1:64).
  • 16x larger L2 cache
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more L2 cache than the average graphics card (512 MB vs 32 MB). The average graphics card has 32 MB L2 cache.
  • Supports multi-GPU linking
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports multi-GPU linking, the average graphics card does not.
  • 2 more DVI outputs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has more DVI outputs than the average graphics card (2 vs 0). The average graphics card has 0 DVI outputs.
  • 40.9% lower TDP
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (127 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
  • 30.8% lower PSU requirement
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (450 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
  • 87.37 mm shorter card length
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (198 mm vs 285.37 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 285.37 mm.
  • 16 mm lower card height
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is shorter than the average graphics card (111 mm vs 127 mm). The average graphics card has a height of 127 mm.

Total
Overall
Performance
Memory
Platform & Features
Connectivity & Media
Power & Cooling
Design
  • 59.6% lower base clock speed
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (775 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.
  • 136 fewer TMUs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (48 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
  • 90.1% lower texture rate
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (37.2 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.
  • 85% lower pixel rate
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (24.8 GPixel/s vs 165.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s.
  • 32 fewer ROPs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer ROPs than the average graphics card (32 vs 64). The average graphics card has 64 ROPs.
  • 93.5% lower FP32 performance
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower FP32 performance than the average graphics card (1.5 TFLOPS vs 22.86 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.86 TFLOPS.
  • 80.4% lower PassMark score
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower PassMark score than the average graphics card (2,232 points vs 11,411 points). The average graphics card has a PassMark score of 11,411 points.
  • 81.2% lower compute score
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower compute score than the average graphics card (890 points vs 4,745 points). The average graphics card has a compute score of 4,745 points.
  • 3,392 fewer FP32 units
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer FP32 units than the average graphics card (960 vs 4,352). The average graphics card has 4,352 FP32 units.
  • 11 GB less VRAM
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (1 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
  • 78.9% slower memory speed
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower effective memory speed than the average graphics card (4,000 MHz vs 19,000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19,000 MHz.
  • 71.4% lower memory bandwidth
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (128 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
  • 42.9% slower VRAM clock
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower VRAM clock than the average graphics card (1,000 MHz vs 1,750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1,750 MHz.
  • 93.8% smaller L1 cache
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer L1 cache than the average graphics card (8 vs 128). The average graphics card has 128 L1 cache.
  • 8x larger process node
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (40 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
  • Older PCIe version
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older PCIe version than the average graphics card (2.1 vs 4.0).
  • No FSR support
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support FSR, the average graphics card does.
  • 13 older
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 was released earlier than the average graphics card (2,010 vs 2,023).
  • No XeSS support
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support XeSS, the average graphics card does.
  • No mesh shaders
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support mesh shaders, the average graphics card does.
  • Worse SAM support
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 offers worse SAM support than the average graphics card (no vs yes).
  • Older OpenCL version
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older OpenCL version than the average graphics card (1.2 vs 3.0).
  • Older shader model
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older shader model than the average graphics card (5 vs 6.8).
  • Older OpenGL version
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older OpenGL version than the average graphics card (4.4 vs 4.6).
  • 92.2% fewer transistors
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer transistors than the average graphics card (1,700 million vs 21,900 million). The average graphics card has 21,900 million transistors.
  • No AV1 encoding
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
  • 1 fewer displays supported
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports fewer displays than the average graphics card (3 vs 4). The average graphics card supports 4 displays.
  • 1 fewer DisplayPort outputs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer DisplayPort outputs than the average graphics card (2 vs 3). The average graphics card has 3 DisplayPort outputs.
  • No AV1 decoding
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support AV1 decoding, the average graphics card does.
  • No DSC support
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support DSC, the average graphics card does.
  • Older HDMI version
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older HDMI version than the average graphics card (1.4a vs 2.1).
  • Older DisplayPort version
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports an older DisplayPort version than the average graphics card (1.2 vs 1.4a).
  • No VRR support
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support VRR, the average graphics card does.
  • Not VR ready
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 is not VR ready, while the average graphics card is.
  • 1 fewer monitors per output type
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports fewer monitors per output type than the average graphics card (3 vs 4). The average graphics card supports 4 monitors per output type.
  • Lower display resolution
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 supports a lower maximum digital resolution than the average graphics card (2560x1600 vs 7680x4320). The average graphics card supports a maximum digital resolution of 7680x4320.
  • 2 fewer fans
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer fans than the average graphics card (1 vs 3).
  • No fan stop
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not support fan stop, the average graphics card does.
  • 14 °C higher load temperature
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher load temperature than the average graphics card (81 °C vs 67 °C). The average graphics card has a load temperature of 67 °C.
  • 72.7% higher idle power draw
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher idle power draw than the average graphics card (19 W vs 11 W). The average graphics card has an idle power draw of 11 W.
  • 8 °C higher idle temperature
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher idle temperature than the average graphics card (46 °C vs 38 °C). The average graphics card has an idle temperature of 38 °C.
  • No backplate
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 does not include a backplate, the average graphics card does.
  • 8x larger process node
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (40 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.
    What it is: Size of the manufacturing process in nanometers
    When it matters: When process node differences may affect power, heat, and overall efficiency.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a higher process node than the average graphics card (40 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a process node of 5 nm.40 nm vs 5 nm
  • 11 GB less VRAM
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (1 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    What it is: Total video memory available on the graphics card
    When it matters: When you play at high settings, use texture mods, or work with large creative projects.

    Importance: HIGH

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (1 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.1 GB vs 12 GB
  • 2 fewer fans
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer fans than the average graphics card (1 vs 3).
    What it is: Total number of cooling fans
    When it matters: When you compare cooler designs and want one more clue about thermal potential.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer fans than the average graphics card (1 vs 3).1 vs 3
  • 59.6% lower base clock speed
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (775 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.
    What it is: Base operating frequency of the GPU core under standard conditions
    When it matters: When you want to understand the card's guaranteed starting frequency instead of looking only at optimistic boost figures.

    Importance: HIGH

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower base GPU clock than the average graphics card (775 MHz vs 1,920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1,920 MHz.775 MHz vs 1920 MHz
  • 136 fewer TMUs
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (48 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    What it is: Total count of texture mapping units on the GPU
    When it matters: When texture-heavy gaming performance matters and you want extra hardware context behind texture-rate claims.

    Importance: HIGH

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (48 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.48 vs 184
  • 90.1% lower texture rate
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (37.2 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.
    What it is: Number of textured pixels the GPU can process per second
    When it matters: When fast texture handling matters in high-refresh gaming workloads.

    Importance: HIGH

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (37.2 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 376.8 GTexel/s.37.2 GTexel/s vs 376.8 GTexel/s
  • 85% lower pixel rate
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (24.8 GPixel/s vs 165.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s.
    What it is: Number of pixels the GPU can render per second
    When it matters: When you play at high resolutions or care about older raster-heavy games.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower pixel rate than the average graphics card (24.8 GPixel/s vs 165.2 GPixel/s). The average graphics card has a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s.24.80 GPixel/s vs 165.2 GPixel/s
  • 78.9% slower memory speed
    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower effective memory speed than the average graphics card (4,000 MHz vs 19,000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19,000 MHz.
    What it is: Effective memory data rate combining clock and bus width
    When it matters: When you compare how quickly each card can push data through its memory subsystem.

    Importance: MEDIUM

    AMD Radeon HD 6850 has a lower effective memory speed than the average graphics card (4,000 MHz vs 19,000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19,000 MHz.4000 MHz vs 19000 MHz
Total
Overall
Performance
Memory
Platform & Features
Connectivity & Media
Power & Cooling
Design

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Third-party reviews

United Kingdom
amazon
4.0
6 Reviews
amazon
5.0
3 Reviews
United States
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3.9
53 Reviews
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4.8
14 Reviews
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4.0
6 Reviews

(Reviews last updated: June 2026)

What customers like about AMD Radeon HD 6850?

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio for mid-range gaming
  • Highly energy efficient with low power consumption under load
  • Operates quietly during both idle and normal gaming use
  • Strong cooling performance, generally maintaining stable temperatures around 50-60°C
  • Good multi-display support via mature Eyefinity ecosystem
  • Capable of handling popular e-sports and older titles at 1080p

What customers dislike about AMD Radeon HD 6850?

  • Performance can be inconsistent compared to competing Nvidia cards like the GTX 460
  • Lack of support for modern graphics APIs like Vulkan or DirectX 12
  • Limited to 1GB VRAM, which is insufficient for modern high-resolution gaming
  • Some partner models (like HIS) were reported to have noisy fans or lower build quality
  • Reference models may run hotter under peak load compared to previous generations
  • Only features one dual-link DVI port on many standard designs

Expert reviews

T
techspot.com
26/04/2011
HIS Radeon HD 6850 & 6870 IceQ X Turbo Crossfire Review If you would like to gather more historical testing material, let me know if you want to inclu...

The TechSpot review of the HIS Radeon HD 6850 and 6870 IceQ X Turbo cards highlights their superior cooling, featuring a 9.2cm silent fan that reduces temperatures by up to 14% compared to reference models. These factory-overclocked cards offer strong performance, with the HD 6870 Turbo X reaching 975MHz, and demonstrate excellent Crossfire scaling, rivaling high-end single and...Read more

B
bit-tech.net
06/11/2010
XFX Radeon HD 6850 Review

The XFX Radeon HD 6850 1GB is a budget-friendly graphics card priced at £149.98 in the UK and $189.99 in the US, designed to compete directly with the GeForce GTX 460 1GB. While it retains the identical underlying performance, specifications, and 775MHz stock core clock of the AMD reference card, XFX replaced the original radial design with a custom cooler featuring a central 92mm...Read more

B
bit-tech.net
22/10/2010
ATI Radeon HD 6850 Review

The ATI Radeon HD 6850 1GB introduces the 40nm "Barts Pro" architecture, featuring 980 stream processors, 12 SIMD engines, and 48 texture units clocked at 775MHz. Built as a conservative, budget-friendly mid-range upgrade over the older Evergreen generation, it pairs its GPU core with 1GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit interface, delivering a memory bandwidth of 128 GB/sec. On the...Read more

T
techpowerup.com
21/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6850 CrossFire Review

The TechPowerUp review of the AMD Radeon HD 6850 CrossFire highlights an impressive 50% to 80% performance increase, establishing an outstanding price-to-performance ratio for mid-range, 40 nm "Barts" GPUs. Key advantages include excellent power efficiency, as the setup often draws less power under load than a single NVIDIA GTX 470, alongside robust DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a...Read more

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wsgf.org
22/10/2010
AMD Radeon 6870 & 6850 Review - Conclusions

The WSGF review concludes that the AMD Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6850 are highly competitive, efficient mid-range cards, offering powerful performance with mature Eyefinity support for multi-monitor setups. Key advantages highlighted include low noise, cool operation, and excellent value, positioning them as ideal upgrades from older, lower-tier hardware. Conversely, the review notes...Read more

G
gamingnexus.com
23/01/2011
AMD Radeon HD 6850 and Radeon HD 6870Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Review

The Gaming Nexus review of the AMD Radeon HD 6850 and HD 6870 highlights these mid-range, DirectX 11 cards as exceptional, budget-friendly options that deliver strong, high-resolution gaming performance. Key strengths include AMD Eyefinity support for up to six displays, excellent power efficiency, and a compact design, with the 6850 requiring only a single 6-pin connector. However,...Read more

W
wsgf.org
22/10/2010
AMD Radeon 6870Go to product viewer dialog for this item. & 6850 Review - Benchmarking

The WSGF review of the AMD Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6850 highlights these "Barts" architecture GPUs as high-value, power-efficient cards delivering performance comparable to the 5000-series while excelling in multi-monitor, wide-screen scenarios with impressive CrossFireX scaling. While providing smooth, budget-conscious performance, the cards exhibit pros like superior power...Read more

T
tomshardware.com
28/11/2010
Four Radeon HD 6850 1 GB Cards Compared

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat Benchmark Performance The benchmark results for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat reveal that all four modified Radeon HD 6850 1 GB cards comfortably handle a 1680x1050 resolution test workload. However, performance strictly degrades when pushing the hardware to a standard 1920x1080 resolution with 4x anti-aliasing (AA) enabled. At this 1080p tier,...Read more

L
legitreviews.com
21/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6850 and 6870 CrossFire Video Card Review

The Legit Reviews article evaluates the AMD Radeon HD 6850 and 6870 mid-range graphics cards, which utilize the 40nm "Barts" GPU architecture to prioritize efficiency and value over sheer transistor counts. A major pro highlighted in the review is the drastically improved performance-per-watt and power management, allowing the HD 6870 to consume less power under load than older...Read more

B
bit-tech.net
22/10/2010
ATI Radeon HD 6850Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Review

The bit-tech.net review evaluates the ATI Radeon HD 6850 1GB as a capable mid-range graphics card that positions itself between the older HD 5770 and HD 5850, closely leaning toward the higher performance of the latter. In benchmark testing across multiple games, its primary pros include its strong gaming performance relative to its price and its notably efficient power consumption,...Read more

T
techpowerup.com
21/10/2010
HIS Radeon HD 6850Go to product viewer dialog for this item. 1 GB Review

The TechPowerUp review of the HIS Radeon HD 6850 1 GB highlights the card as a strong, competitively priced option for mid-range gaming based on the 40 nm Barts PRO architecture. Key advantages include its excellent performance-per-watt, low power consumption, and modern display connectivity, including DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a. Conversely, the review notes significant...Read more

A
alphr.com
29/09/2014
AMD Radeon HD 6850 review

The Alphr review highlights the AMD Radeon HD 6850 as a highly optimized mid-range graphics card that successfully hits the "sweet spot" for budget-conscious consumers. Priced competitively at £127 exc VAT (£149 retail), this dual-slot card features a re-architected design running on a 775MHz core clock, 1GB of GDDR5 RAM, and a 256-bit memory bus. Despite dropping its stream...Read more

B
bit-tech.net
01/04/2011
MSI R6850 Cyclone Power Edition Review

The MSI R6850 Cyclone Power Edition is a highly competitive, factory-overclocked graphics card priced affordably at £140 ($189). Built on a custom 21.5cm PCB, it features an upgraded 7 -phase power layout with Super Ferrite Chokes to enhance stability. The core clock is boosted by 11 percent to 860MHz, and the 1GB GDDR5 memory is overclocked to an effective 4.4GHz, providing a...Read more

T
tomshardware.com
28/11/2010
Roundup: Four Radeon HD 6850 1 GB Cards Compared

Based on the review, this roundup evaluates four modified, third-party Radeon HD 6850 1 GB graphics cards—from Asus, MSI, PowerColor, and Sapphire—against the reference design to see how custom cooling, bundled software, and factory overclocks impact performance. Testing is conducted on a high-end, overclocked Intel Core i7-980X system running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit and AMD...Read more

B
bit-tech.net
22/10/2010
ATI Radeon HD 6850 Review

The bit-tech ATI Radeon HD 6850 1GB Review highlights the graphics card as a highly capable mid-range model that successfully reshapes market pricing. Priced between £135 and £155, it directly rivals the Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 1GB, offering nearly inseparable gaming performance within a few frames per second of its competitor. While it does not deliver a revolutionary performance...Read more

M
m.hexus.net
22/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6870 and 6850 review

The AMD Radeon HD 6870 and 6850 graphics cards demonstrate excellent cost-to-performance efficiency and power management within the mid-range GPU market. Architecture enhancements allow the higher-end HD 6870 to outperform the previous-generation, more expensive HD 5850 despite having fewer shaders. Meanwhile, the budget-friendly Sapphire HD 6850 delivers performance nearly equal to...Read more

T
techradar.com
22/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6850 review

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 is a second-generation DirectX 11 graphics card that delivers playable frame rates for most contemporary games, operating with notably low noise production and minimal power consumption. However, its initial market entry was heavily challenged by stiff competition, specifically finding itself sandwiched between Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460 variants. While it...Read more

T
techgage.com
22/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6870 & HD 6850

The Techgage review finds that the AMD Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6850 ("Barts") offer an excellent performance-to-price ratio, successfully competing with Nvidia's GTX 460 and 470 in gaming benchmarks. Key advantages include superior power efficiency, improved geometry throughput, and a strong set of display outputs including HDMI 1.4a. Conversely, the review notes high, near-90°C core...Read more

H
hothardware.com
21/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6870 & 6850 Graphics Cards Debut

The HotHardware AMD Radeon HD 6870 and 6850 Review details the debut of AMD's "Barts" architecture, marking the official retirement of the ATI brand in favor of unified AMD branding. Built on a refined 40nm process rather than a die shrink, this generation overhauls internal efficiency to deliver 5800-series class performance in 25% less silicon area. The Radeon HD 6870 ($239 MSRP)...Read more

T
tomshardware.com
21/10/2010
AMD Radeon HD 6870 And 6850: Is Barts A Step Forward?

This Tom’s Hardware review evaluates the launch of AMD’s Radeon HD 6850 ($180) and HD 6870 ($240) graphics cards (codenamed "Barts"), assessing how they stack up against older AMD hardware and a highly aggressive pricing counter-strategy from Nvidia. To accurately reflect the retail market where most partner cards feature factory overclocks, the testers benchmarked the competing...Read more

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madboxpc.com
22/10/2010
Review AMD Radeon HD 6870 y HD 6850 - madboxpc

MadBoxPC reviews the AMD Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6850 as efficient 40nm, mid-range GPUs, featuring 1GB GDDR5, 256-bit memory buses, and support for HDMI 1.4a/DisplayPort 1.2. The HD 6870 operates at 900MHz with 1120 stream processors and 151W load, while the HD 6850 operates at 775MHz with 960 stream processors and 127W load. Key pros include an excellent price-to-performance ratio...Read more

(Translated)Show original
H
hardware.info
23/10/2010
Radeon HD 6850: ASUS vs. Sapphire vs. XFX

The ASUS EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5 features a custom cooling design with two 8mm heatpipes in direct contact with the GPU and an 80mm central fan, giving it a stylish aesthetic on a black PCB. It deviates from the reference design by offering a single full-sized DisplayPort instead of two mini-DisplayPort connections, alongside two DVI ports and one HDMI port. Out of the box, the card is...Read more

(Translated)Show original

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