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 605 vs GeForce GT 520 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 605 vs GeForce GT 520: 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 605

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $29 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Delivers 100.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 90W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 520 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GT 520

2015

Why buy it

✅39.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
96.7% HIGHER MSRP
$59 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 11.0 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
❌38.5% higher power demand at 90W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 520 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 39.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 605 instead at 330 vs 323, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce 605 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 605 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $29 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $59, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 100.9% (11.0 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GT 520 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 605 vs GeForce GT 520 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 605

The GeForce 605 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 5 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 902 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 330 points. Launch price was $99.

GeForce GT 520

The GeForce GT 520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 323 points. Launch price was $159.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 605 scores 330 and the GeForce GT 520 reaches 323 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 605 is built on Kepler while the GeForce GT 520 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 605) vs 768 (GeForce GT 520). Raw compute: 0.6927 TFLOPS (GeForce 605) vs 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520).

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
G3D Mark Score	330+2%	323
Architecture	Kepler	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	768+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6927 TFLOPS	1.825 TFLOPS+163%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	48+50%
L1 Cache	32 KB	288 KB+800%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	1 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
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 605 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 520 carries 2 GB. GeForce GT 520 gives you 300% 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 605 and 64-bit on the GeForce GT 520. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce 605) vs 1 MB (GeForce GT 520) — the GeForce GT 520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	1 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 605) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 520). Vulkan: N/A vs None. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
DirectX	12 (11_0)+9%	11.0
Vulkan	N/A	None
OpenGL	4.6+12%	4.1
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 605) vs No (GeForce GT 520). Decoder: VP5 vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce 605) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520).

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
Encoder	None	No
Decoder	VP5	PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 605 draws 65W versus the GeForce GT 520's 90W — a 32.3% difference. The GeForce 605 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce 605) vs 250W (GeForce GT 520). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Card length: 145mm vs 145mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 65°C.

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
TDP	65W-28%	90W
Recommended PSU	250W	250W
Power Connector	Legacy	None
Length	145mm	145mm
Height	69mm	111mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	75	65°C-13%
Perf/Watt	5.1+42%	3.6

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 605 came in at $30, while the GeForce GT 520 launched at $59. On MSRP, GeForce 605 was 49.2% cheaper ($29 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.0 (GeForce 605) vs 5.5 (GeForce GT 520) — the GeForce 605 offers 100% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 520 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce 605	GeForce GT 520
MSRP	$30-49%	$59
Performance per Dollar	11.0+100%	5.5
Codename	GK107	GM206
Release	June 5 2012	August 20 2015
Ranking	#837	#425

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