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 830A vs GeForce GTX 260 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 830A vs GeForce GTX 260: 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 830A

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $349 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 338.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.7 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 182W, a 149W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 260 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 896 MB 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.

GeForce GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

✅19.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅75% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (896 MB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
349% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 11.7 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌451.5% higher power demand at 182W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 260 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 19.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.3% in PassMark G3D (1,200 vs 1,173), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 830A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 65nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 830A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $349 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 338.9% (11.7 vs 2.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 260 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 830A vs GeForce GTX 260 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 830A

The GeForce 830A 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: 1,173 points.

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 830A scores 1,173 and the GeForce GTX 260 reaches 1,200 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 830A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 260 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 830A) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 260). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 830A) vs 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260).

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
G3D Mark Score	1,173	1,200+2%
Architecture	Maxwell	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	256+33%	192
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS+23%	0.4769 TFLOPS
ROPs	8	28+250%
TMUs	16	64+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB+355%	0.22 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
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 830A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 260 carries 896 MB. GeForce GTX 260 gives you 75% 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 830A and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 830A) vs 0.22 MB (GeForce GTX 260) — the GeForce 830A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.875 GB+75%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+355%	0.22 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 830A) vs 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
DirectX	12 (11_0)+20%	10_0
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce 830A) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260). Decoder: VP6 vs NVDEC 1st Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 830A) vs H.264 (GeForce GTX 260).

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder	VP6	NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 830A draws 33W versus the GeForce GTX 260's 182W — a 138.6% difference. The GeForce 830A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 830A) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 260). Power connectors: Legacy vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
TDP	33W-82%	182W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	Legacy	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	35.5+438%	6.6

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 830A came in at $100, while the GeForce GTX 260 launched at $449. On MSRP, GeForce 830A was 77.7% cheaper ($349 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.7 (GeForce 830A) vs 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) — the GeForce 830A offers 333.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 830A (2014 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 830A	GeForce GTX 260
MSRP	$100-78%	$449
Performance per Dollar	11.7+333%	2.7
Codename	GM108	GT200
Release	July 22 2014	June 16 2008
Ranking	#832	#821

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