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 GTS 250 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 GTS 250: 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

✅22.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Delivers 336% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 106W, a 73W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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 GTS 250

2010

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 720A across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
330% HIGHER MSRP
$129 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.4 vs 19.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
❌221.2% higher power demand at 106W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 720A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (577 vs 569), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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 40nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2010. 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 $99 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 336% (19.2 vs 4.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 720A vs GeForce GTS 250 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 GTS 250

The GeForce GTS 250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 569 points. Launch price was $129.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 720A scores 577 and the GeForce GTS 250 reaches 569 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 720A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTS 250 uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 720A) vs 192 (GeForce GTS 250). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 720A) vs 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
G3D Mark Score	577+1%	569
Architecture	Maxwell	Fermi
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384+100%	192
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7227 TFLOPS+20%	0.6013 TFLOPS
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	24	32+33%
L1 Cache	192 KB	256 KB+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
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)

The GeForce 720A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTS 250 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTS 250 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 720A and 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 250. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 720A) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GTS 250) — the GeForce 720A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 720A) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 250). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
DirectX	12 (11_0)+8%	11.1 (10_0)
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (GeForce 720A) vs PureVideo HD VP5 (GeForce GTS 250). Decoder: NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 720A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 250).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
Encoder	NVENC	PureVideo HD VP5
Decoder	NVDEC	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 720A draws 33W versus the GeForce GTS 250's 106W — a 105% difference. The GeForce 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 720A) vs 450W (GeForce GTS 250). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 229mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 90°C.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
TDP	33W-69%	106W
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	229mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85-6%	90°C
Perf/Watt	17.5+224%	5.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 720A came in at $30, while the GeForce GTS 250 launched at $129. On MSRP, GeForce 720A was 76.7% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 19.2 (GeForce 720A) vs 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) — the GeForce 720A offers 336.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 720A (2015 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTS 250
MSRP	$30-77%	$129
Performance per Dollar	19.2+336%	4.4
Codename	GM108	GF106
Release	March 13 2015	September 13 2010
Ranking	#810	#791

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