GeForce 9500 GS vs Radeon R5 230

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 R5 230 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 R5 230: 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

✅23.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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.
❌
120% HIGHER MSRP
$110 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 230

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
✅Delivers 126.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9500 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

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 23.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 230 instead at 222 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?

GeForce 9500 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?

Radeon R5 230 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $60 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $110, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 126.1% (4.4 vs 2.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9500 GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9500 GS vs Radeon R5 230 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R5 230

The Radeon R5 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9500 GS scores 216 and the Radeon R5 230 reaches 222 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9500 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon R5 230 uses GCN 3.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 384 (Radeon R5 230).

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
G3D Mark Score	216	222+3%
Architecture	G9x	GCN 3.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	384+71%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9500 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 230 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
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 128-bit on the Radeon R5 230.

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 11.2 (Radeon R5 230). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	11.2
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (GeForce 9500 GS) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon R5 230). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD 2.2.

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
Encoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2.2
Decoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9500 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon R5 230's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R5 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 350W (Radeon R5 230). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 168mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
TDP	150W	50W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	168mm	168mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	1.4	4.4+214%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9500 GS came in at $110, while the Radeon R5 230 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon R5 230 was 54.5% cheaper ($60 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce 9500 GS) vs 4.4 (Radeon R5 230) — the Radeon R5 230 offers 120% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 230 (2017 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 9500 GS	Radeon R5 230
MSRP	$110	$50-55%
Performance per Dollar	2.0	4.4+120%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Weston
Release	July 15 2008	April 18 2017
Ranking	#825	#873

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