GeForce 6500 vs MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
GeForce 6500
Popular choices:
MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
Popular choices:
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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is on rank 710, 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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce 6500 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 6500 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce 6500 holds the technical lead. Priced at $5 (vs $15), it costs 67% less, resulting in a 192.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+192.3%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($5) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($15) |
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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
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.
MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 39 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce 6500 scores 38 and the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 reaches 39 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 6500 is built on Kepler while the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 6500) vs 800 (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700). Raw compute: 0.8125 TFLOPS (GeForce 6500) vs 1.12 TFLOPS (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700).
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 38 | 39+3% |
| Architecture | Kepler | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 800+108% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.8125 TFLOPS | 1.12 TFLOPS+38% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 32 | 40+25% |
| L1 Cache | 32 KB | 80 KB+150% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 has 128 MB. The GeForce 6500 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.25 GB+100% | 0.125 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 6500) vs 9.0 (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 9.0c | 9.0 |
| Max Displays | 2 | 0 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce 6500 draws 65W versus the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700's 50W — a 26.1% difference. The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6500) vs 350W (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 168mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 65W | 50W-23% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | Legacy | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 168mm | 1mm |
| Height | 100mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 65°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 0.6 | 0.8+33% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce 6500 launched at $100 MSRP and currently averages $5, while the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 launched at $49 and now averages $15. The GeForce 6500 costs 66.7% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 7.6 (GeForce 6500) vs 2.6 (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700) — the GeForce 6500 offers 192.3% better value. The GeForce 6500 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2010).
| Feature | GeForce 6500 | MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $100 | $49-51% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $5-67% | $15 |
| Performance per Dollar | 7.6+192% | 2.6 |
| Codename | GK107 | Broadway |
| Release | September 6 2012 | January 7 2010 |
| Ranking | #719 | #846 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce 6500 and MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700
