GeForce 9650M GT vs Radeon HD 6290M

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 GT vs Radeon HD 6290M 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 GT vs Radeon HD 6290M: 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 GT

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6290M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 6290M

2011

Why buy it

✅1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6290M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (140 vs 137), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 9650M GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 9650M GT makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 6290M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 9650M GT vs Radeon HD 6290M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 9650M GT

The GeForce 9650M GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 137 points.

Radeon HD 6290M

The Radeon HD 6290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 140 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9650M GT scores 137 and the Radeon HD 6290M reaches 140 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9650M GT is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 6290M uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6290M). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6290M).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GT	Radeon HD 6290M
G3D Mark Score	137	140+2%
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	640	960+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.306 TFLOPS	1.306 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	48+20%
L1 Cache	320 KB+67%	192 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9650M GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6290M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GT	Radeon HD 6290M
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 GT has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6290M carries 512 MB. GeForce 9650M GT 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 GT and System on the Radeon HD 6290M. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 6290M) — the GeForce 9650M GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GT	Radeon HD 6290M
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9650M GT draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 6290M's 75W — a 0% difference. The Radeon HD 6290M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6290M). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 9650M GT	Radeon HD 6290M
TDP	75W	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	1.8	1.9+6%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 9650M GT (2015 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce 9650M GT	Radeon HD 6290M
MSRP	$100	—
Codename	GM107	Blackcomb
Release	October 27 2015	January 4 2011
Ranking	#671	#654

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