GeForce 8400M G vs Radeon HD 4200

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 8400M G vs Radeon HD 4200 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 8400M G vs Radeon HD 4200: 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 8400M G

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 190W, a 157W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 4200 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 4200

2009

Why buy it

✅45.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 128 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌475.8% higher power demand at 190W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 4200 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 45.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.7% in PassMark G3D (112 vs 105), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8400M G is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2009. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 4200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is priced the same on MSRP at $50 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 6.7% (2.2 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 4200 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8400M G has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8400M G vs Radeon HD 4200 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8400M G

The GeForce 8400M G is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 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: 105 points.

Radeon HD 4200

The Radeon HD 4200 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8400M G scores 105 versus the Radeon HD 4200's 112 — the Radeon HD 4200 leads by 6.7%. The GeForce 8400M G is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 4200 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 8400M G) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4200). Raw compute: 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 8400M G) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4200).

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
G3D Mark Score	105	112+7%
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale
Process Node	28 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	384	800+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8632 TFLOPS	1.36 TFLOPS+58%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	16	40+150%
L1 Cache	192 KB+20%	160 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8400M G gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4200 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8400M G has 128 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4200 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 4200 gives you 300% 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 8400M G and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4200. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 8400M G) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4200) — the GeForce 8400M G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.5 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (GeForce 8400M G) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 4200). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
DirectX	11.1+10%	10.1
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce 8400M G) vs UVD 2 (Radeon HD 4200). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD 2.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
Encoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2
Decoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8400M G draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 4200's 190W — a 140.8% difference. The GeForce 8400M G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8400M G) vs 350W (Radeon HD 4200). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
TDP	33W-83%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.2+433%	0.6

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8400M G came in at $50, while the Radeon HD 4200 launched at $50. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (GeForce 8400M G) vs 2.2 (Radeon HD 4200) — the Radeon HD 4200 offers 4.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 8400M G (2014 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 4200
MSRP	$50	$50
Performance per Dollar	2.1	2.2+5%
Codename	GM108	RV790
Release	March 12 2014	April 2 2009
Ranking	#854	#762

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