GeForce 9500 GS vs Radeon R3E

NVIDIA

GeForce 9500 GS

2008Core: 500 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon R3E

2019Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1218 MHz
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GeForce 9500 GS vs Radeon R3E 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 9500 GS vs Radeon R3E 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 9500 GS vs Radeon R3E: 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 9500 GS

2008

Why buy it

  • 8.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($110 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.
  • 200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.
  • 16700% longer card at 168mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R3E

2019

Why buy it

  • GeForce 9500 GS is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3E is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 168mm, a 167mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 9500 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $110 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 9500 GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R3E instead at 225 vs 216, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R3E is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 14nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 9500 GS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce 9500 GS is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R3E has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9500 GS vs Radeon R3E Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9500 GS

The GeForce 9500 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: 216 points.

AMD

Radeon R3E

The Radeon R3E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 225 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9500 GS scores 216 and the Radeon R3E reaches 225 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9500 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon R3E uses GCN 4.0, both on 65 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 512 (Radeon R3E).

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
G3D Mark Score
216
225+4%
Architecture
G9x
GCN 4.0
Process Node
65 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
224
512+129%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9500 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R3E leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
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 9500 GS and 64-bit on the Radeon R3E.

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 12_0 (Radeon R3E). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12_0+8%
Max Displays
2
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce 9500 GS) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3E). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD 4.2.

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
Encoder
PureVideo HD
VCE 2.0
Decoder
PureVideo HD
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9500 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon R3E's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R3E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 350W (Radeon R3E). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 168mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
TDP
150W
50W-67%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
PCIe-powered
Length
168mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80
Perf/Watt
1.4
4.5+221%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9500 GS came in at $110, while the Radeon R3E launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon R3E was 100+% cheaper ($110 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce 9500 GS) vs Infinity (Radeon R3E) — the Radeon R3E offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R3E (2019 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 9500 GSRadeon R3E
MSRP
$110
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
2.0
Infinity
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Polaris 23
Release
July 15 2008
May 13 2019
Ranking
#825
#757

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