GeForce 8600 GT vs RADEON HD 6350

NVIDIA

GeForce 8600 GT

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

RADEON HD 6350

2011Core: 750 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 8600 GT vs RADEON HD 6350 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 GT vs RADEON HD 6350 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 GT vs RADEON HD 6350: 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 GT

2008

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 186W, a 36W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RADEON HD 6350 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 430% HIGHER MSRP
    $159 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).

RADEON HD 6350

2011

Why buy it

  • 0.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $129 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
  • Delivers 433.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.7 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
  • Measures 168mm instead of 173mm, a 5mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 24% higher power demand at 186W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RADEON HD 6350 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (141 vs 140), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 8600 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
RADEON HD 6350 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $129 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $159, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 433.8% (4.7 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, RADEON HD 6350 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8600 GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8600 GT vs RADEON HD 6350 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 8600 GT

The GeForce 8600 GT 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: 140 points.

AMD

RADEON HD 6350

The RADEON HD 6350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 186W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 141 points. Launch price was $180.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8600 GT scores 140 and the RADEON HD 6350 reaches 141 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 8600 GT is built on G9x while the RADEON HD 6350 uses TeraScale 3, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 1,280 (RADEON HD 6350).

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
G3D Mark Score
140
141
Architecture
G9x
TeraScale 3
Process Node
65 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
224
1280+471%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8600 GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The RADEON HD 6350 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8600 GT has 1 GB of VRAM, while the RADEON HD 6350 carries 512 MB. GeForce 8600 GT gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8600 GT and 128-bit on the RADEON HD 6350.

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 11.2 (11_0) (RADEON HD 6350). Vulkan: None vs N/A. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
DirectX
10.0
11.2 (11_0)+12%
Vulkan
None
N/A
OpenGL
3.3
4.4+33%
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8600 GT) vs None (RADEON HD 6350). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (RADEON HD 6350).

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
Encoder
No
None
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP2
UVD 2.2
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8600 GT draws 150W versus the RADEON HD 6350's 186W — a 21.4% difference. The GeForce 8600 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 350W (RADEON HD 6350). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 173mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70.

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
TDP
150W-19%
186W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
173mm
168mm
Height
111mm
69mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
80°C
70-13%
Perf/Watt
0.9+12%
0.8
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8600 GT came in at $159, while the RADEON HD 6350 launched at $30. On MSRP, RADEON HD 6350 was 81.1% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8600 GT) vs 4.7 (RADEON HD 6350) — the RADEON HD 6350 offers 422.2% better value. The newer card here is RADEON HD 6350 (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 8600 GTRADEON HD 6350
MSRP
$159
$30-81%
Performance per Dollar
0.9
4.7+422%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Cayman
Release
July 15 2008
December 1 2011
Ranking
#825
#598

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