GeForce 9650M GS vs NVS 310

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 9650M GS vs NVS 310 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 9650M GS vs NVS 310: 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 9650M GS

2012

Why buy it

✅Draws 30W instead of 68W, a 38W reduction.

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.
❌
25.2% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$159 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

NVS 310

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $40 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 27.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.7 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($159 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌126.7% higher power demand at 68W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

NVS 310 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.9% in PassMark G3D (275 vs 270), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GeForce 9650M 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?

NVS 310 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $40 cheaper on MSRP at $159 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 27.5% (1.7 vs 1.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, NVS 310 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9650M GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9650M GS vs NVS 310 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 9650M GS

The GeForce 9650M GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 790 MHz to 835 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 270 points.

NVS 310

The NVS 310 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 4 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 902 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 68W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 275 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9650M GS scores 270 and the NVS 310 reaches 275 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9650M GS is built on Kepler while the NVS 310 uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 512 (NVS 310). Boost clocks: 835 MHz vs 1033 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
G3D Mark Score	270	275+2%
Architecture	Kepler	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768+50%	512 ×2
Boost Clock	835 MHz	1033 MHz+24%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9650M GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The NVS 310 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 9650M GS and 64-bit on the NVS 310.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 12 (11_0) (NVS 310). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 (11_0)+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No NVENC (G84) (GeForce 9650M GS) vs Fermi NVENC (NVS 310). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (NVS 310).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
Encoder	No NVENC (G84)	Fermi NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	VP4
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9650M GS draws 30W versus the NVS 310's 68W — a 77.6% difference. The GeForce 9650M GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 350W (NVS 310). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
TDP	30W-56%	68W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	—	145mm
Height	—	69mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	9.0+125%	4.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9650M GS came in at $199, while the NVS 310 launched at $159. On MSRP, NVS 310 was 20.1% cheaper ($40 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 1.7 (NVS 310) — the NVS 310 offers 21.4% better value. The newer card here is NVS 310 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	NVS 310
MSRP	$199	$159-20%
Performance per Dollar	1.4	1.7+21%
Codename	N13E-GE	GM107
Release	March 22 2012	November 4 2015
Ranking	#690	#826

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