GeForce 9650M GS vs Radeon HD 8490

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 8490 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 8490: 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

✅17.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 30W instead of 190W, a 160W reduction.
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
101% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8490

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 95.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9650M GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2009 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 190W vs 30W.

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 17.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (270 vs 263), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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 55nm and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2009. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8490 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 95.8% (2.7 vs 1.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8490 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 8490 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 8490

The Radeon HD 8490 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 263 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9650M GS scores 270 and the Radeon HD 8490 reaches 263 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9650M GS is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8490 uses TeraScale, both on 28 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 800 (Radeon HD 8490).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
G3D Mark Score	270+3%	263
Architecture	Kepler	TeraScale
Process Node	28 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	768	800+4%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9650M GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8490 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 9650M GS has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8490 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 8490 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 9650M GS and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 8490.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 8490). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	11.2
OpenGL	3.3	4.4+33%
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No NVENC (G84) (GeForce 9650M GS) vs UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 8490). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8490).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
Encoder	No NVENC (G84)	UVD 3.1
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9650M GS draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 8490's 190W — a 145.5% difference. The GeForce 9650M GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8490). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
TDP	30W-84%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	—	168mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	9.0+543%	1.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9650M GS came in at $199, while the Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8490 was 50.3% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (GeForce 9650M GS) vs 2.7 (Radeon HD 8490) — the Radeon HD 8490 offers 92.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 9650M GS (2012 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GS	Radeon HD 8490
MSRP	$199	$99-50%
Performance per Dollar	1.4	2.7+93%
Codename	N13E-GE	RV790
Release	March 22 2012	April 2 2009
Ranking	#690	#762

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