GeForce 310 vs GeForce 505

NVIDIA

GeForce 310

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 941 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 505

2022Core: 832 MHzBoost: 1155 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce 310 vs GeForce 505 Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce 310 vs GeForce 505: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GeForce 310

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $54 less on MSRP ($45 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Delivers 118.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.2 vs 1.5 G3D/$ ($45 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 505 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 32% higher power demand at 33W vs 25W.

GeForce 505

2022

Why buy it

  • 3.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • GeForce 310 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 505 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 25W instead of 33W, a 8W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 120% HIGHER MSRP
    $99 MSRPvs$45 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.5 vs 3.2 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $45 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 505 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (144 vs 143), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 505 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 310 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $54 cheaper on MSRP at $45 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 118.5% (3.2 vs 1.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 310 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 505 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 310 vs GeForce 505 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 310

The GeForce 310 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 143 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 505

The GeForce 505 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in Maio 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 832 MHz to 1155 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 144 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 310 scores 143 and the GeForce 505 reaches 144 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 310 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce 505 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 310) vs 2,048 (GeForce 505). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 310) vs 4.731 TFLOPS (GeForce 505). Boost clocks: 941 MHz vs 1155 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
G3D Mark Score
143
144
Architecture
Maxwell
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
2048+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7227 TFLOPS
4.731 TFLOPS+555%
Boost Clock
941 MHz
1155 MHz+23%
ROPs
8
40+400%
TMUs
24
64+167%
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
2 MB+953%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 310 and 128-bit on the GeForce 505. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 310) vs 2 MB (GeForce 505) — the GeForce 505 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce 310) vs 10.1 (GeForce 505). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
DirectX
10.1
10.1
OpenGL
3.3
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 310) vs No (GeForce 505). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (GeForce 310) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce 505).

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
Encoder
None
No
Decoder
PureVideo VP4
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 310 draws 33W versus the GeForce 505's 25W — a 27.6% difference. The GeForce 505 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 310) vs 350W (GeForce 505). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
TDP
33W
25W-24%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
168mm
168mm
Height
69mm
64mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
80°C
70°C-13%
Perf/Watt
4.3
5.8+35%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 310 came in at $45, while the GeForce 505 launched at $99. On MSRP, GeForce 310 was 54.5% cheaper ($54 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.2 (GeForce 310) vs 1.5 (GeForce 505) — the GeForce 310 offers 113.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 505 (2022 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 310GeForce 505
MSRP
$45-55%
$99
Performance per Dollar
3.2+113%
1.5
Codename
GM108
GA107
Release
March 13 2015
Maio 2022
Ranking
#810
#407

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.