GeForce 8600 GS vs Radeon Xpress 1250

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 8600 GS vs Radeon Xpress 1250 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 8600 GS vs Radeon Xpress 1250: 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 8600 GS

2008

Why buy it

✅296.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌130.8% higher power demand at 150W vs 65W.

Radeon Xpress 1250

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 150W, a 85W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 8600 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB 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 1.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 8600 GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 296.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 316.3% in PassMark G3D (179 vs 43), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8600 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 8600 GS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 8600 GS vs Radeon Xpress 1250 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8600 GS

The GeForce 8600 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 179 points.

Radeon Xpress 1250

The Radeon Xpress 1250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 43 points. Launch price was $89.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8600 GS scores 179 versus the Radeon Xpress 1250's 43 — the GeForce 8600 GS leads by 316.3%. The GeForce 8600 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon Xpress 1250 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8600 GS) vs 384 (Radeon Xpress 1250).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
G3D Mark Score	179+316%	43
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	384+71%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8600 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Xpress 1250 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8600 GS and 64-bit on the Radeon Xpress 1250.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (GeForce 8600 GS) vs 9_0b (Radeon Xpress 1250). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
DirectX	10_0+11%	9_0b
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce 8600 GS) vs Avivo (Radeon Xpress 1250). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs Avivo.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
Encoder	PureVideo HD	Avivo
Decoder	PureVideo HD	Avivo
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,WMV9	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8600 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon Xpress 1250's 65W — a 79.1% difference. The Radeon Xpress 1250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8600 GS) vs 350W (Radeon Xpress 1250). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 170mm vs 0mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
TDP	150W	65W-57%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	170mm	0mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	78°C	—
Perf/Watt	1.2+71%	0.7

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8600 GS came in at $100, while the Radeon Xpress 1250 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Xpress 1250 was 100+% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.8 (GeForce 8600 GS) vs Infinity (Radeon Xpress 1250) — the Radeon Xpress 1250 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Xpress 1250 (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GS	Radeon Xpress 1250
MSRP	$100	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	1.8	Infinity
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Oland
Release	July 15 2008	October 8 2013
Ranking	#825	#871

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