Radeon RX 780 vs Radeon RX 6500

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon RX 780

2024

Why buy it

✅118.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform 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.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 780 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Radeon RX 780

2024

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

✅118.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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

❌
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.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 780 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 780 better than Radeon RX 6500?

Yes. Radeon RX 780 is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 780 averages 118.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 7,658 vs 7,610 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 780 is a 2024 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, while Radeon RX 6500 is a 0 model from an older generation with FSR 3 + AFMF. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 780 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 0, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 5nm process instead of Unknown node. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon RX 780 is about 150.8% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 118.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 6500 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, Radeon RX 780 is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, Radeon RX 6500 still makes more sense on price alone and remains capable enough for modern gaming.

Is Radeon RX 6500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 6500 is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to $199 MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, Radeon RX 780 earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon RX 780 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon RX 780	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	125 FPS	78 FPS
medium	114 FPS	68 FPS
high	96 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	108 FPS	71 FPS
medium	92 FPS	60 FPS
high	77 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	25 FPS
medium	51 FPS	24 FPS
high	41 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon RX 780 Open Radeon RX 6500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon RX 780	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	345 FPS	106 FPS
medium	276 FPS	73 FPS
high	230 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	258 FPS	72 FPS
medium	207 FPS	44 FPS
high	172 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	34 FPS
medium	135 FPS	23 FPS
high	115 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon RX 780 Open Radeon RX 6500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon RX 780	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	345 FPS	299 FPS
medium	276 FPS	258 FPS
high	230 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	160 FPS
1440p
low	258 FPS	221 FPS
medium	207 FPS	198 FPS
high	172 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	121 FPS
4K
low	172 FPS	135 FPS
medium	138 FPS	117 FPS
high	115 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	53 FPS

Open Radeon RX 780 Open Radeon RX 6500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon RX 780	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	323 FPS	131 FPS
medium	260 FPS	107 FPS
high	223 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	77 FPS
1440p
low	243 FPS	99 FPS
medium	203 FPS	82 FPS
high	170 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	144 FPS	58 FPS
medium	126 FPS	47 FPS
high	102 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	29 FPS

Open Radeon RX 780 Open Radeon RX 6500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 780 and Radeon RX 6500

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.

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.

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

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support modern Frame Generation technology, allowing them to insert intermediate frames to smooth motion and boost perceived FPS in supported games.

Feature	Radeon RX 780	Radeon 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 feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: System vs 64-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX 780	Radeon 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.

Feature	Radeon RX 780	Radeon 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).

Feature	Radeon RX 780	Radeon 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.

Feature	Radeon RX 780	Radeon 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

The Radeon RX 780 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6500 launched at $199. The Radeon RX 6500 costs 60.1% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. 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.