GeForce 315 vs GeForce 9400 GT

NVIDIA

GeForce 315

2020Core: 747 MHzBoost: 937 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce 9400 GT

2015Core: 1072 MHzBoost: 1176 MHz
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GeForce 315 vs GeForce 9400 GT 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 315 vs GeForce 9400 GT 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.

GeForce 315 vs GeForce 9400 GT: 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 315

2020

Why buy it

  • 2.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • GeForce 9400 GT is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 315 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 20W instead of 33W, a 13W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $59 MSRP).

GeForce 9400 GT

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 315 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 65% higher power demand at 33W vs 20W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 315 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (196 vs 191), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 315 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 9400 GT 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 9400 GT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 315 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 315 vs GeForce 9400 GT Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 315

The GeForce 315 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 10 2020. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 747 MHz to 937 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 196 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce 9400 GT

The GeForce 9400 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1072 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 191 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 315 scores 196 and the GeForce 9400 GT reaches 191 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 315 is built on Pascal while the GeForce 9400 GT uses Maxwell, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 315) vs 384 (GeForce 9400 GT). Raw compute: 1.199 TFLOPS (GeForce 315) vs 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 9400 GT). Boost clocks: 937 MHz vs 1176 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
G3D Mark Score
196+3%
191
Architecture
Pascal
Maxwell
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
640+67%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.199 TFLOPS+33%
0.9032 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
937 MHz
1176 MHz+26%
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
32+33%
24
L1 Cache
240 KB+25%
192 KB
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
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)

The GeForce 315 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce 9400 GT carries 1 GB. GeForce 9400 GT gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 315 and 128-bit on the GeForce 9400 GT. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce 315) vs 1 MB (GeForce 9400 GT) — the GeForce 9400 GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce 315) vs 10.0 (GeForce 9400 GT). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
DirectX
10.1
10.0
OpenGL
3.3
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 315) vs No (GeForce 9400 GT). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (GeForce 315) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 9400 GT).

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
Encoder
None
No
Decoder
PureVideo VP4
PureVideo HD VP2
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2
MPEG-2,H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 315 draws 20W versus the GeForce 9400 GT's 33W — a 49.1% difference. The GeForce 315 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 315) vs 350W (GeForce 9400 GT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
TDP
20W-39%
33W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
168mm
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
80°C
65°C-19%
Perf/Watt
9.8+69%
5.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 315 came in at $0, while the GeForce 9400 GT launched at $59. On MSRP, GeForce 315 was 100+% cheaper ($59 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (GeForce 315) vs 3.2 (GeForce 9400 GT) — the GeForce 315 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 315 (2020 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce 315GeForce 9400 GT
MSRP
$0-100%
$59
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
3.2
Codename
GP107
GM108
Release
February 10 2020
March 13 2015
Ranking
#597
#847

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