GeForce 720A vs Quadro 500M

NVIDIA

GeForce 720A

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 941 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro 500M

2010Core: 405 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 720A vs Quadro 500M Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce 720A vs Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M: 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 100W, a 67W reduction.
  • More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro 500M 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.

Quadro 500M

2010

Why buy it

  • 14.3% 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

  • 2010 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).
  • 203% higher power demand at 100W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro 500M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.3% 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 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Quadro 500M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 720A vs Quadro 500M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

Quadro 500M

The Quadro 500M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 27 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 405 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 571 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 720A scores 577 and the Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 720A) vs 320 (Quadro 500M). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 720A) vs 0.5184 TFLOPS (Quadro 500M).

FeatureGeForce 720AQuadro 500M
G3D Mark Score
577+1%
571
Architecture
Maxwell
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384+20%
320
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7227 TFLOPS+39%
0.5184 TFLOPS
ROPs
8
32+300%
TMUs
24
40+67%
L1 Cache
192 KB
640 KB+233%
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 720A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro 500M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 720AQuadro 500M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 720A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Quadro 500M carries 1 GB. Quadro 500M 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 64-bit on the Quadro 500M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 720A) vs 0.5 MB (Quadro 500M) — the GeForce 720A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 720AQuadro 500M
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 720A draws 33W versus the Quadro 500M's 100W — a 100.8% difference. The GeForce 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 720A) vs 350W (Quadro 500M). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce 720AQuadro 500M
TDP
33W-67%
100W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
17.5+207%
5.7
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 720A (2015 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce 720AQuadro 500M
MSRP
$30
Codename
GM108
GF100
Release
March 13 2015
July 27 2010
Ranking
#810
#675

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