Radeon Xpress 1250 vs GeForce 8600 GS

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.

Radeon Xpress 1250 vs GeForce 8600 GS FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon Xpress 1250 vs GeForce 8600 GS: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon Xpress 1250

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 150W, a 85W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 8600 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

GeForce 8600 GS

2008

Why buy it

✅296.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌130.8% higher power demand at 150W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 8600 GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 296.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 316.3% in PassMark G3D (179 vs 43), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon Xpress 1250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 28nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 8600 GS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 8600 GS is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Xpress 1250 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon Xpress 1250 vs GeForce 8600 GS Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Radeon Xpress 1250

The Radeon Xpress 1250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 43 points. Launch price was $89.

GeForce 8600 GS

The GeForce 8600 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 179 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon Xpress 1250 scores 43 versus the GeForce 8600 GS's 179 — the GeForce 8600 GS leads by 316.3%. The Radeon Xpress 1250 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce 8600 GS uses G9x, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon Xpress 1250) vs 224 (GeForce 8600 GS).

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
G3D Mark Score	43	179+316%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	G9x
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+71%	224

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8600 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Xpress 1250 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon Xpress 1250 and 64-bit on the GeForce 8600 GS.

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9_0b (Radeon Xpress 1250) vs 10_0 (GeForce 8600 GS). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
DirectX	9_0b	10_0+11%
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Avivo (Radeon Xpress 1250) vs PureVideo HD (GeForce 8600 GS). Decoder: Avivo vs PureVideo HD.

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
Encoder	Avivo	PureVideo HD
Decoder	Avivo	PureVideo HD
Codecs	—	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,WMV9

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Xpress 1250 draws 65W versus the GeForce 8600 GS's 150W — a 79.1% difference. The Radeon Xpress 1250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon Xpress 1250) vs 350W (GeForce 8600 GS). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy. Card length: 0mm vs 170mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots.

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
TDP	65W-57%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Legacy
Length	0mm	170mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	—	78°C
Perf/Watt	0.7	1.2+71%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon Xpress 1250 came in at $0, while the GeForce 8600 GS launched at $100. On MSRP, Radeon Xpress 1250 was 100+% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Radeon Xpress 1250) vs 1.8 (GeForce 8600 GS) — the Radeon Xpress 1250 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Xpress 1250 (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	Radeon Xpress 1250	GeForce 8600 GS
MSRP	$0-100%	$100
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	1.8
Codename	Oland	NB9E-GTX
Release	October 8 2013	July 15 2008
Ranking	#871	#825

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