GeForce 8400 GS vs GeForce GT 120M

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 8400 GS vs GeForce GT 120M 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 8400 GS vs GeForce GT 120M: 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 8400 GS

2014

Why buy it

✅30.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

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.

GeForce GT 120M

2017

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 8400 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 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 5.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $30 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 8400 GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 30.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7.9% in PassMark G3D (163 vs 151), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8400 GS 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 8400 GS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 8400 GS vs GeForce GT 120M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8400 GS

The GeForce 8400 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 17 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 163 points.

GeForce GT 120M

The GeForce GT 120M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1228 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 151 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8400 GS scores 163 versus the GeForce GT 120M's 151 — the GeForce 8400 GS leads by 7.9%. The GeForce 8400 GS is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GT 120M uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 8400 GS) vs 384 (GeForce GT 120M). Raw compute: 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 8400 GS) vs 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 120M). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 1468 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
G3D Mark Score	163+8%	151
Architecture	Maxwell	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8632 TFLOPS	1.127 TFLOPS+31%
Boost Clock	1124 MHz	1468 MHz+31%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	16	24+50%
L1 Cache	192 KB+33%	144 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
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 8400 GS has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 120M carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 120M 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 8400 GS and 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 8400 GS) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce GT 120M) — the GeForce 8400 GS has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8400 GS) vs 11.1 (FL10_0) (GeForce GT 120M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
DirectX	10.0	11.1 (FL10_0)+11%
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8400 GS) vs VP3 (GeForce GT 120M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs VP3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8400 GS) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 120M).

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
Encoder	No	VP3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	VP3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8400 GS draws 33W versus the GeForce GT 120M's 30W — a 9.5% difference. The GeForce GT 120M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8400 GS) vs 350W (GeForce GT 120M). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
TDP	33W	30W-9%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	170mm	—
Height	106mm	—
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	65°C-19%	80°C
Perf/Watt	4.9	5.0+2%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 120M (2017 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 8400 GS	GeForce GT 120M
MSRP	$30	—
Codename	GM108	GP108
Release	March 17 2014	May 17 2017
Ranking	#850	#641

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