Date:
Thursday , February 24, 2011
Author:
Brent Justice
Editor:
Kyle Bennett
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AMD Radeon HD 6950 1GB Performance Review

We are pitting the new Radeon HD 6950 1GB video card against the Radeon HD 6950 2GB version and a GeForce GTX 560 Ti in apples-to-apples testing to see how they compare. We test at 1920x1200 and 2560x1600 to push memory limitations and find which card provides the best gaming value.

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Performance Summary

Performance has turned out not as we expected in many cases here, but that isn’t a bad thing. In fact, considering the 1GB Radeon HD 6950 performs the same as the 2GB Radeon HD 6950 at lower resolutions, and is less expensive; that makes it a great alternative. Let’s break it down.

Radeon HD 6950 1GB vs. 2GB

Certainly, the first thing we wanted to know is if the reduction memory capacity with the Radeon HD 6950 GPU would cause a reduction in performance. We found that at lower resolutions like 1920x1200 the answer is no, performance was not impacted much if at all. Since both video cards use the same GPU the end-result was the same. Playing at 4X AA at 1920x1200 yielded no performance differences in any of the games.

It was only at the highest setting of 2560x1600 with 8X MSAA did we start to see differences. The 2GB Radeon HD 6950 clearly allowed 8X MSAA in some games to be playable, and in others allowed us to use Transparency Antialiasing at 2560x1600. The 1GB Radeon HD 6950 struggled with these higher settings. Still, in some cases performance was the same as long as the AA setting was lower at 2560x1600.

Radeon HD 6950 1GB & 2GB vs. GeForce GTX 560 Ti

Our tests today are interesting because for the first time we are comparing the Radeon HD 6950 to a stock clocked reference GeForce GTX 560 Ti. In all our previous evaluations, the GTX 560 Ti was factory overclocked, which is great, as the GTX 560 Ti needs that to compete. In these tests, we wanted to use all stock clock speeds to see how it compares.

We were shocked to find that in a shader driven game like Metro 2033 both AMD Radeon HD 6950 video cards performed faster than the GeForce GTX 560 Ti by a significant margin. This is a complete reversal prior to the Radeon HD 6900 series; NVIDIA GPUs used to allow the highest framerates in this game. It is not the case anymore. It does seem the GeForce GTX 560 Ti has a better handle on the new DX11 game Civilization V as performance is definitely faster at lower resolutions, most likely due to Tessellation abilities of the 560 GPU. However, crank the game up to 2560x1600 with 8X MSAA and the Radeon HD 6950 2GB video card pulls ahead! So even in that game, the 2GB Radeon HD 6950 can indeed pull ahead at the higher settings.

Memory Capacity and Resolution

We have found that it comes down to what your native resolution is that you play at. If you play at 1920x1200 or lower, we have no problem recommending the 1GB Radeon HD 6950 over the GeForce GTX 560 Ti. At 1920x1200 1GB frame buffer seems to be adequate. Though the GTX 560 Ti is faster in Civ 5, for the most part the Radeon HD 6950 1GB seems to be superior when it comes to shader driven games. Overclocking the 560 Ti will make up for some of this since it is capable of ~1GHz GPU core speeds, but you are going to have to truly push it to make up for lost ground.

However, if you play at 2560x1600 (or higher with Eyefinity) then the 2GB of RAM on the Radeon HD 6950 becomes important. It will give you more breathing room to allow higher settings. As we have seen, it will even overcome the GTX 560 Ti in a game like Civ 5 when the settings are pushed to high levels. Once again, we have to lean to the Radeon HD 6950 2GB when compared to the GTX 560 Ti.

Value

It always comes down to what you pay, and simply put the Radeon HD 6950 1GB video card is the cheapest. At $224.99 it undercuts the new GeForce GTX 560 Ti at this sweet spot. Since both video cards have 1GB of RAM they are both limited in the same way. However, the Radeon HD 6950 GPU seems to push framerates higher in shader driven games like Metro 2033. It is hard for us to suggest either the 560 Ti or the 6950 1GB at 2560x1600 resolutions. The 560 Ti just really does not have the power to push it, and if you like AA you are likely better off with the 6950 2GB at this level of gameplay.

The 2GB Radeon HD 6950 is more expensive, but is still priced competitive with factory overclocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti video cards. We have found that the Radeon HD 6950 shines when it is pushed to high resolutions with AA. The 2GB of RAM on board allows it to do so and gives it more headroom than the GTX 560 Ti has.

Also, you must consider multi-GPU configurations. When running CrossFireX or SLI you want the most RAM you can get per GPU. If not, you will have this awesome powerhouse of an engine being held back by small cheap tires; your ultimate gameplay will be held back. Spending a little bit more and getting the HD 6950 with 2GB will give you the headroom to setup a fast CrossFireX configuration that will allow high resolutions with AA that won’t be held back by the memory.

The Bottom Line

As it stands there is no better value than Radeon HD 6950 GPU based video cards in this "sweet spot" of ~$249. The Radeon HD 6950 GPU has proven to be a powerhouse for gaming, and now you have two different pricing options. The 1GB models are undercutting the GTX 560 Ti right now, and the 2GB models compete with the factory overclocked GTX 560 Ti cards. In all our gaming experience with all three video cards, there is no better value than the Radeon HD 6950 2GB video card right now. The inclusion of the 1GB Radeon HD 6950 just gives gamers one more option. If you are gaming at 1920x1200 or lower, and are on a budget, get the 1GB version. If you love the high levels AA eye candy, or game at higher resolutions go for the 6950 2GB model.

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