GeForce 9650M GT vs Radeon HD 8180

NVIDIA

GeForce 9650M GT

2015Core: 928 MHzBoost: 1020 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8180

2013Core: 725 MHzBoost: 775 MHz
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GeForce 9650M GT vs Radeon HD 8180 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 8180 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 8180: 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

  • 3.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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

  • 2015 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 233.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $100 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 4.5 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
  • 50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8180

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $70 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Delivers 228.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.5 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 9650M GT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 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 GT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (137 vs 135), 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 and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8180 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 228.5% (4.5 vs 1.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8180 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9650M GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9650M GT vs Radeon HD 8180 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon HD 8180

The Radeon HD 8180 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 135 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9650M GT scores 137 and the Radeon HD 8180 reaches 135 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9650M GT is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 8180 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8180). Raw compute: 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8180). Boost clocks: 1020 MHz vs 775 MHz.

FeatureGeForce 9650M GTRadeon HD 8180
G3D Mark Score
137+1%
135
Architecture
Maxwell
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
640
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.306 TFLOPS+32%
0.992 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1020 MHz+32%
775 MHz
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
40
40
L1 Cache
320 KB+100%
160 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9650M GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8180 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 9650M GTRadeon HD 8180
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)

The GeForce 9650M GT has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8180 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8180. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 8180) — the GeForce 9650M GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 9650M GTRadeon HD 8180
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+700%
0.25 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9650M GT draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 8180's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 8180 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8180). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce 9650M GTRadeon HD 8180
TDP
75W
50W-33%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
1x 6-pin
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
1.8
2.7+50%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9650M GT came in at $100, while the Radeon HD 8180 launched at $30. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8180 was 70% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.4 (GeForce 9650M GT) vs 4.5 (Radeon HD 8180) — the Radeon HD 8180 offers 221.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 9650M GT (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce 9650M GTRadeon HD 8180
MSRP
$100
$30-70%
Performance per Dollar
1.4
4.5+221%
Codename
GM107
Venus
Release
October 27 2015
April 1 2013
Ranking
#671
#745

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