GeForce 8400 vs GeForce 9300 SE

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 vs GeForce 9300 SE 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 vs GeForce 9300 SE: 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

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $5 less on MSRP ($45 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌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 9300 SE

2015

Why buy it

✅Measures 168mm instead of 170mm, a 2mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
11.1% HIGHER MSRP
$50 MSRPvs$45 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 9300 SE is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (82 vs 81), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GeForce 8400 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 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5 cheaper on MSRP at $45 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 9.8% (1.8 vs 1.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce 9300 SE still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 8400 vs GeForce 9300 SE Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8400

The GeForce 8400 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: 81 points.

GeForce 9300 SE

The GeForce 9300 SE 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: 82 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8400 scores 81 and the GeForce 9300 SE reaches 82 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 8400 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce 9300 SE uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 8400) vs 384 (GeForce 9300 SE). Raw compute: 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 8400) vs 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 9300 SE). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 941 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
G3D Mark Score	81	82+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8632 TFLOPS+19%	0.7227 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1124 MHz+19%	941 MHz
ROPs	8	8
TMUs	16	24+50%
L1 Cache	192 KB	192 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 8400 and 128-bit on the GeForce 9300 SE.

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8400) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9300 SE). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
DirectX	10.0	11.1 (10_0)+11%
Vulkan	None	N/A
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8400) vs None (GeForce 9300 SE). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs PureVideo HD (VP3). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8400) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9300 SE).

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
Encoder	No	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	PureVideo HD (VP3)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8400 draws 33W versus the GeForce 9300 SE's 33W — a 0% difference. The GeForce 9300 SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8400) vs 350W (GeForce 9300 SE). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 170mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 80.

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
TDP	33W	33W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	170mm	168mm
Height	106mm	69mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	65°C-19%	80
Perf/Watt	2.5	2.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8400 came in at $45, while the GeForce 9300 SE launched at $50. On MSRP, GeForce 8400 was 10% cheaper ($5 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.8 (GeForce 8400) vs 1.6 (GeForce 9300 SE) — the GeForce 8400 offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 9300 SE (2015 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 8400	GeForce 9300 SE
MSRP	$45-10%	$50
Performance per Dollar	1.8+12%	1.6
Codename	GM108	GM108
Release	March 17 2014	March 13 2015
Ranking	#850	#810

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