GeForce 720A vs GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

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 720A vs GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ 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 720A vs GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+: 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 720A

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 671.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ 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.

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

2008

Why buy it

✅20.0% 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.
❌
663.3% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.5 vs 19.2 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
❌354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 20.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 720A instead at 577 vs 571, 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 720A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 65nm 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?

GeForce 720A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 671.4% (19.2 vs 2.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 720A vs GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 720A

The GeForce 720A 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: 577 points.

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 571 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 720A scores 577 and the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ reaches 571 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 720A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ uses G9x, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 720A) vs 224 (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
G3D Mark Score	577+1%	571
Architecture	Maxwell	G9x
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+71%	224

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 720A and 64-bit on the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 720A) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
DirectX	12 (11_0)+8%	11.1 (10_0)
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (GeForce 720A) vs No NVENC (G92) (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+). Decoder: NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 720A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-1,MPEG-2,WMV (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
Encoder	NVENC	No NVENC (G92)
Decoder	NVDEC	PureVideo HD VP2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-1,MPEG-2,WMV

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 720A draws 33W versus the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+'s 150W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 720A) vs 350W (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
TDP	33W-78%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	17.5+361%	3.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 720A came in at $30, while the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ launched at $229. On MSRP, GeForce 720A was 86.9% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 19.2 (GeForce 720A) vs 2.5 (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+) — the GeForce 720A offers 668% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 720A (2015 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
MSRP	$30-87%	$229
Performance per Dollar	19.2+668%	2.5
Codename	GM108	NB9E-GTX
Release	March 13 2015	July 15 2008
Ranking	#810	#825

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