GeForce 6500 vs Radeon 3015e
GeForce 6500
Popular choices:
Radeon 3015e
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
About G3D Mark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce 6500 is positioned at rank 359 and the Radeon 3015e is on rank 414, so the GeForce 6500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 6500
Performance Per Dollar Radeon 3015e
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon 3015e is significantly newer (2019 vs 2012). The Radeon 3015e likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce 6500 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon 3015e is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 823.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (512 MB vs 256 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 6500.
| Insight | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-823.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+823.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) (14nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 6500 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $5 versus $49 for the Radeon 3015e, it costs 90% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 6.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+6.1%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($5) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($49) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce 6500 and Radeon 3015e
GeForce 6500
The GeForce 6500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 1058 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38 points. Launch price was $109.
Radeon 3015e
The Radeon 3015e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 351 points.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6500 scores 38 versus the Radeon 3015e's 351 — the Radeon 3015e leads by 823.7%. The GeForce 6500 is built on Kepler while the Radeon 3015e uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 6500) vs 512 (Radeon 3015e). Raw compute: 0.8125 TFLOPS (GeForce 6500) vs 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon 3015e).
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 38 | 351+824% |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 512+33% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.8125 TFLOPS | 1.247 TFLOPS+53% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 32 | 32 |
| L1 Cache | 32 KB | 128 KB+300% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce 6500 comes with 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon 3015e has 512 MB. The Radeon 3015e offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce 6500) vs 512 KB (Radeon 3015e) — the Radeon 3015e has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.25 GB | 0.5 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6500) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon 3015e). Vulkan: None vs 1.2. OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 9.0c | 12 (12_1)+33% |
| Vulkan | None | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 2.1 | 4.6+119% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 6500) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon 3015e). Decoder: PureVideo vs VCN 1.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce 6500) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Radeon 3015e).
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | No | VCN 1.0 |
| Decoder | PureVideo | VCN 1.0 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2 | H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce 6500 draws 65W versus the Radeon 3015e's 50W — a 26.1% difference. The Radeon 3015e is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6500) vs 350W (Radeon 3015e). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 65W | 50W-23% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | Legacy | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 168mm | — |
| Height | 100mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 65°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 0.6 | 7.0+1067% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce 6500 launched at $100 MSRP and currently averages $5, while the Radeon 3015e launched at $49 and now averages $49. The GeForce 6500 costs 89.8% less ($44 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 7.6 (GeForce 6500) vs 7.2 (Radeon 3015e) — the GeForce 6500 offers 5.6% better value. The Radeon 3015e is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | Radeon 3015e |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $100 | $49-51% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $5-90% | $49 |
| Performance per Dollar | 7.6+6% | 7.2 |
| Codename | GK107 | Polaris 23 |
| Release | September 6 2012 | May 13 2019 |
| Ranking | #719 | #757 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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