GeForce 720A vs GeForce GTX 280M

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 GTX 280M 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 GTX 280M: 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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 236W, a 203W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 280M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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 GTX 280M

2008

Why buy it

✅7.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 19.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
❌615.2% higher power demand at 236W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 280M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 7.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 720A instead at 577 vs 576, 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 280M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 720A vs GeForce GTX 280M 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 GTX 280M

The GeForce GTX 280M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 576 points. Launch price was $649.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 720A scores 577 and the GeForce GTX 280M reaches 576 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 720A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 280M uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 720A) vs 240 (GeForce GTX 280M). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 720A) vs 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280M).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
G3D Mark Score	577	576
Architecture	Maxwell	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+60%	240
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7227 TFLOPS+16%	0.6221 TFLOPS
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	24	80+233%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
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 GTX 280M carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 280M 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 GTX 280M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 720A) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280M) — the GeForce 720A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
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 GTX 280M). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
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 VP2 (GeForce GTX 280M). Decoder: NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 720A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 280M).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
Encoder	NVENC	PureVideo HD VP2
Decoder	NVDEC	PureVideo HD VP2
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 GTX 280M's 236W — a 150.9% difference. The GeForce 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 720A) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 280M). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
TDP	33W-86%	236W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	None
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85	85°C
Perf/Watt	17.5+629%	2.4

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 720A (2015 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 720A	GeForce GTX 280M
MSRP	$30	—
Codename	GM108	GT200
Release	March 13 2015	June 16 2008
Ranking	#810	#802

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