GeForce 9650M GS vs Radeon HD 2600 XT

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 Radeon HD 2600 XT 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 Radeon HD 2600 XT: 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

✅35.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

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.
❌20% higher power demand at 30W vs 25W.

Radeon HD 2600 XT

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 25W instead of 30W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9650M GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 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 9650M GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 2600 XT instead at 283 vs 270, 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 9650M GS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 2600 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is priced the same on MSRP at $199 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4.8% (1.4 vs 1.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 2600 XT 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 Radeon HD 2600 XT 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.

Radeon HD 2600 XT

The Radeon HD 2600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 283 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9650M GS scores 270 and the Radeon HD 2600 XT reaches 283 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9650M GS is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 2600 XT uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2600 XT).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 2600 XT
G3D Mark Score	270	283+5%
Architecture	Kepler	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	768+60%	480

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9650M GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 2600 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 2600 XT
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 128-bit on the GeForce 9650M GS and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2600 XT.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 2600 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9650M GS draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 2600 XT's 25W — a 18.2% difference. The Radeon HD 2600 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2600 XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 2600 XT
TDP	30W	25W-17%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	9.0	11.3+26%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9650M GS came in at $199, while the Radeon HD 2600 XT launched at $199. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 1.4 (Radeon HD 2600 XT) — the Radeon HD 2600 XT offers 0% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 2600 XT (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 2600 XT
MSRP	$199	$199
Performance per Dollar	1.4	1.4
Codename	N13E-GE	Thames
Release	March 22 2012	January 7 2013
Ranking	#690	#883

Search GeForce 9650M GS on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 2600 XT on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.