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 800A vs GeForce GT 420 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 800A vs GeForce GT 420: 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 800A

2014

Why buy it

✅33.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 33W instead of 64W, a 31W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
26.6% HIGHER MSRP
$100 MSRPvs$79 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.3 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $79 MSRP).

GeForce GT 420

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $21 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅Delivers 25.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 4.3 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 800A across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌93.9% higher power demand at 64W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 800A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 33.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (435 vs 432), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce 800A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 420 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $21 cheaper on MSRP at $79 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 25.7% (5.5 vs 4.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 420 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 800A has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 800A vs GeForce GT 420 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 800A

The GeForce 800A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 435 points.

GeForce GT 420

The GeForce GT 420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 432 points. Launch price was $89.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 800A scores 435 and the GeForce GT 420 reaches 432 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 800A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GT 420 uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 800A) vs 384 (GeForce GT 420). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 800A) vs 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 420).

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
G3D Mark Score	435	432
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	256	384+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	0.7626 TFLOPS+30%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	16	32+100%
L1 Cache	128 KB+300%	32 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 800A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 420 carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 420 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 800A and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 420. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 800A) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 420) — the GeForce 800A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
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 800A) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 420). Vulkan: N/A vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
Vulkan	N/A	N/A
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (GeForce 800A) vs None (GeForce GT 420). Decoder: VP5 vs VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 800A) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce GT 420).

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
Encoder	NVENC	None
Decoder	VP5	VP4
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 800A draws 33W versus the GeForce GT 420's 64W — a 63.9% difference. The GeForce 800A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 800A) vs 250W (GeForce GT 420). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 145mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 80.

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
TDP	33W-48%	64W
Recommended PSU	350W	250W-29%
Power Connector	Legacy	None
Length	0mm	145mm
Height	0mm	69mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	85	80-6%
Perf/Watt	13.2+94%	6.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 800A came in at $100, while the GeForce GT 420 launched at $79. On MSRP, GeForce GT 420 was 21% cheaper ($21 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.3 (GeForce 800A) vs 5.5 (GeForce GT 420) — the GeForce GT 420 offers 27.9% better value.

Feature	GeForce 800A	GeForce GT 420
MSRP	$100	$79-21%
Performance per Dollar	4.3	5.5+28%
Codename	GM108	GK107
Release	July 22 2014	May 29 2014
Ranking	#832	#777

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