GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon HD 6990M

When comparing GeForce GTX 280 and Radeon HD 6990M, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 280 and Radeon HD 6990M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 6990M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 6990M is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Radeon HD 6990M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 280 Radeon HD 6990M
Power consumption (TDP) 236 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 MXM-B (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors 6-pin & 8-pin None
Memory type GDDR3 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x S-Video No outputs
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  • GeForce GTX 280 has 136% more power consumption, than Radeon HD 6990M.
  • GeForce GTX 280 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon HD 6990M uses MXM-B (3.0) interface.
  • Radeon HD 6990M has 1 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 280.
  • GeForce GTX 280 is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 6990M - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 280 is build with Tesla 2.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 6990M - with Terascale 2.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 280 is 581 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6990M.
  • GeForce GTX 280 is manufactured by 65 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 6990M - by 40 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 280 is 207 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6990M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 1−2 14−16
ultra / 1080p 0−1 8−9
QHD / 1440p 0−1 3−4
low / 720p 12−14 30−33
medium / 1080p 3−4 16−18
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 6990M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 250% more, than GeForce GTX 280.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 280 Radeon HD 6990M
Architecture Tesla 2.0 Terascale 2
Code name GT200 Blackcomb XTX
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 16 June 2008 12 July 2011
Pipelines 240 1120
Core clock speed 1296 MHz 715 MHz
Transistor count 1,400 million 1,700 million
Manufacturing process technology 65 nm 40 nm
Texture fill rate 48.2 billion/sec 40.04
Floating-point performance 622.1 gflops 1,601.6 gflops
Length 10.5" (267 mm) (26.7 cm)
Memory bus width 512 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1107 MHz 900 MHz
Memory bandwidth 141.7 GB/s 115.2 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 11.1 (10_0) 11.2 (11_0)
Shader Model 4.0 5.0
OpenGL 2.1 4.4
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan N/A N/A
CUDA +
CUDA cores 240
Height 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI S/PDIF
Laptop size large
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