GeForce 8600 GTS vs Radeon HD 8210

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 GTS vs Radeon HD 8210 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 GTS vs Radeon HD 8210: 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 GTS

2008

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8210 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
468.6% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$35 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $35 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8210

2012

Why buy it

✅1.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $164 less on MSRP ($35 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 499.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($35 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8210 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.4% in PassMark G3D (195 vs 185), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8600 GTS 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?

Radeon HD 8210 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $164 cheaper on MSRP at $35 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 499.3% (5.6 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8210 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8600 GTS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8600 GTS vs Radeon HD 8210 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8600 GTS

The GeForce 8600 GTS 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: 185 points.

Radeon HD 8210

The Radeon HD 8210 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 195 points. Launch price was $349.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8600 GTS scores 185 versus the Radeon HD 8210's 195 — the Radeon HD 8210 leads by 5.4%. The GeForce 8600 GTS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8210 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8600 GTS) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8210).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GTS	Radeon HD 8210
G3D Mark Score	185	195+5%
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	1280+471%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8600 GTS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8210 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GTS	Radeon HD 8210
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8600 GTS and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8210.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GTS	Radeon HD 8210
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8600 GTS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8210's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce 8600 GTS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8600 GTS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8210). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 8600 GTS	Radeon HD 8210
TDP	150W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	198mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	1.2+20%	1.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8600 GTS came in at $199, while the Radeon HD 8210 launched at $35. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8210 was 82.4% cheaper ($164 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8600 GTS) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 8210) — the Radeon HD 8210 offers 522.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8210 (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 8600 GTS	Radeon HD 8210
MSRP	$199	$35-82%
Performance per Dollar	0.9	5.6+522%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Pitcairn
Release	July 15 2008	March 5 2012
Ranking	#825	#460

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