AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX110 Comparison

# AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX110

The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 represent two very different approaches to graphics hardware: a dual-GPU flagship card from the Northern Islands generation aimed at desktop enthusiasts, versus a low-power integrated-class mobile part from the Maxwell era. The benchmark data shows a single head-to-head result, with the MX110 taking the win, but the specifications tell a more nuanced story about where each part genuinely excels.

Where Each One Wins

Looking strictly at the head-to-head benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 wins the only direct comparison available. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the MX110 scores 4255 against the HD 6850 X2's 3977, a delta of -6.5% for the AMD part. This is a modest victory, not a decisive blowout, and it means the MX110 holds a narrow but real performance edge in compute workloads that utilize OpenCL.

However, the HD 6850 X2 wins in several categories that are not captured by a single compute benchmark. The AMD card offers substantially higher raw throughput specifications: its pixel rate of 25.60 GPixel/s dwarfs the MX110's 8.048 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 38.40 GTexel/s more than doubles the MX110's 16.10 GTexel/s. For fill-rate-bound scenarios such as high-resolution texture rendering or multi-sample anti-aliasing, the HD 6850 X2 is the clear victor on paper.

The MX110 counters with efficiency and modern feature support. Its 30 W TDP is a fraction of the HD 6850 X2's 254 W, and it requires no power connectors, drawing all power from the slot. The MX110 also supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (11_0), while the HD 6850 X2 has no Vulkan support and tops out at DirectX 11.2 (11_0). For software that leverages modern APIs, the MX110 wins on compatibility.

In terms of average benchmark scores, the HD 6850 X2 posts a 3977 average, while the MX110 averages 3834. This puts the AMD card 3.7% higher on average, even though it loses the single OpenCL head-to-head. The MX110's average is dragged down by its Vulkan score of 3413, which is notably lower than its OpenCL result.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX110 scores 4255 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 6.5% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2's 3977 in the same test.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The HD 6850 X2 has an average benchmark score of 3977, while the MX110 averages 3834. This means the AMD card is about 3.7% higher on average, despite losing the single OpenCL head-to-head.

Q: Which card supports Vulkan?

A: Only the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 supports Vulkan, with version 1.4 listed. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 has no Vulkan support in its API specifications.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The HD 6850 X2 has 134.4 GB/s of bandwidth from its 256-bit bus, while the MX110 has 40.10 GB/s from a 64-bit bus. The AMD card offers roughly 3.4 times the memory bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The HD 6850 X2 is rated at 254 W with dual 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 600 W power supply, whereas the MX110 is rated at 30 W with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed.

Q: Which card has the higher transistor density?

A: The MX110 has a transistor density of 13.2M per mm² on its 77 mm² die, while the HD 6850 X2 has 6.7M per mm² on a 255 mm² die. The MX110 is more than twice as dense.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 wins with a score of 4255 against the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2's 3977. The delta percentage is -6.5% from the AMD card's perspective, meaning the MX110 outperforms it by roughly 6.5% in this compute test. This is a meaningful but not overwhelming margin; in practical terms, it suggests the MX110 handles OpenCL compute workloads slightly better, despite having far lower raw specifications.

The MX110's nearest rival data puts its performance in context. With an average score of 3834, the MX110 sits 0.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 (3823) and 1.1% above the Intel UHD Graphics 710 (3792). It trails the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics (3883) by 1.2% and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 (3898) by 1.6%. This places the MX110 in a tight cluster of low-to-mid-range parts, with no dramatic swings in either direction.

For the HD 6850 X2, its average score of 3977 puts it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 (3964), 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3957), 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956), and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M (3953). The AMD card's nearest rivals are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that its compute performance is very consistent with that segment of the market.

The head-to-head result is interesting because it contradicts the raw specification advantage. The HD 6850 X2 has 960 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the MX110 has only 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD card also has more than triple the memory bandwidth. Yet in OpenCL, the MX110 still wins. This suggests the MX110's Maxwell architecture is significantly more efficient per unit of hardware, or that the OpenCL workload favors its particular design.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge sharply across nearly every specification. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 uses 960 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 uses 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The AMD card has 4 times the shading units, 3 times the TMUs, and 4 times the ROPs.

Memory configuration also differs fundamentally. The HD 6850 X2 features 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 134.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX110 also has 2 GB of GDDR5, but on a 64-bit bus, giving it just 40.10 GB/s. The memory clock differs as well: the AMD card runs at 1050 MHz with 4.2 Gbps effective, while the MX110 runs at 1253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective. Despite the higher clock, the narrower bus cripples total bandwidth.

Clock speeds for the GPU core follow a different pattern. The HD 6850 X2 lists no base or boost clock in the data, while the MX110 has a base clock of 978 MHz and a boost clock of 1006 MHz. The AMD card's compute output is listed at 1.536 TFLOPS FP32, versus 515.1 GFLOPS for the MX110, a roughly 3-to-1 advantage for the AMD part.

The physical and power profiles are starkly different. The HD 6850 X2 is a dual-slot card requiring 2x 8-pin power connectors and a 600 W suggested power supply, with a 254 W TDP. The MX110 is an IGP-class part with no power connectors and a 30 W TDP. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 2.0 x16 for AMD versus PCIe 3.0 x4 for NVIDIA. Display outputs range from 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1 on the AMD card to "Portable Device Dependent" on the MX110.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational and philosophical. The AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is built on TeraScale 2, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. Its chip is codenamed Barts and belongs to the Northern Islands (HD 6800) generation. The die measures 255 mm² and contains 1,700 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 6.7M per mm². This is a large, power-hungry desktop chip designed for maximum throughput.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX110 uses the Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. Its chip is codenamed GM108S and belongs to the GeForce MX (1xx) generation. The die is just 77 mm² with 1,020 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 13.2M per mm². This is nearly double the density of the AMD chip, reflecting the newer process node and more compact design philosophy.

The memory technology differs in generation and implementation. Both use GDDR5, but the HD 6850 X2's 256-bit bus is a full desktop-class memory interface, while the MX110's 64-bit bus is typical of entry-level mobile parts. The MX110's higher memory clock (1253 MHz vs 1050 MHz) cannot compensate for the narrower bus.

API support reflects the architectural age. The HD 6850 X2 supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, with no Vulkan support. The MX110 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MX110 also uses PCIe 3.0 x4, whereas the HD 6850 X2 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16.

The release dates are six years apart: the HD 6850 X2 launched in September 2011, while the MX110 launched in November 2017. The AMD card's predecessor is Evergreen and its successor is Southern Islands, while the MX110 has no listed predecessor or successor. Both are now end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but nuanced conclusion. For raw compute throughput and fill-rate-bound rendering, the AMD Radeon HD 6850 X2 is the stronger part on paper, with 3x the FP32 throughput, 3x the texture rate, and 3x the pixel rate of the NVIDIA GeForce MX110. Its 134.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is more than triple the MX110's 40.10 GB/s. If the workload is purely about moving pixels and textures, the HD 6850 X2 should dominate.

However, the only direct benchmark result shows the MX110 winning the Geekbench OpenCL test by 6.5%. This is a real, measurable result that cannot be ignored. The MX110 also wins decisively on efficiency: 30 W versus 254 W, no power connectors versus dual 8-pin, and IGP form factor versus dual-slot. For a laptop or compact system, the MX110 is the only viable choice.

The HD 6850 X2's average benchmark score of 3977 is higher than the MX110's 3834, but the MX110's average includes a Vulkan score that the AMD card cannot even produce. The MX110's nearest rival comparisons show it within 1.6% of several contemporary parts, while the HD 6850 X2 sits within 0.6% of its rivals. Neither card is a standout in its peer group.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, a builder with a desktop system that has a 600 W power supply and room for a dual-slot card should choose the HD 6850 X2 if the priority is maximum fill rate and memory bandwidth. A user needing a low-power, modern-API-capable solution in a portable or space-constrained system should choose the MX110. The MX110's OpenCL win is the only direct performance comparison, but the HD 6850 X2's specification sheet suggests it would win in scenarios the benchmark doesn't cover. The verdict is that the MX110 wins the measured test, while the HD 6850 X2 wins the broader specification war.