GeForce 315M vs Quadro FX 380M

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 315M vs Quadro FX 380M 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 315M vs Quadro FX 380M: 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 315M

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 189W, a 114W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro FX 380M 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.

Quadro FX 380M

2008

Why buy it

✅2.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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.
❌152% higher power demand at 189W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro FX 380M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.2% in PassMark G3D (121 vs 115), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 315M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Quadro FX 380M 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, Quadro FX 380M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 315M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 315M vs Quadro FX 380M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 315M

The GeForce 315M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 115 points.

Quadro FX 380M

The Quadro FX 380M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 121 points. Launch price was $3,499.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 315M scores 115 versus the Quadro FX 380M's 121 — the Quadro FX 380M leads by 5.2%. The GeForce 315M is built on Maxwell while the Quadro FX 380M uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 315M) vs 240 (Quadro FX 380M). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 315M) vs 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 380M).

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
G3D Mark Score	115	121+5%
Architecture	Maxwell	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	640+167%	240
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.306 TFLOPS+110%	0.6221 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 315M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro FX 380M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 315M and 64-bit on the Quadro FX 380M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce 315M) vs 0.25 MB (Quadro FX 380M) — the GeForce 315M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce 315M) vs 11.1 (FL10_1) (Quadro FX 380M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
DirectX	10.1	11.1 (FL10_1)+10%
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 315M) vs VP4 (Quadro FX 380M). Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2 (GeForce 315M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Quadro FX 380M).

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
Encoder	None	VP4
Decoder	PureVideo VP4	VP4
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 Part 2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 315M draws 75W versus the Quadro FX 380M's 189W — a 86.4% difference. The GeForce 315M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 315M) vs 350W (Quadro FX 380M). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce 315M	Quadro FX 380M
TDP	75W-60%	189W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	1.5+150%	0.6