GeForce 9700M GT vs GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT

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 9700M GT vs GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT 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 9700M GT vs GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT: 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 9700M GT

2008

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
135.3% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$85 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 3.8 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $85 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT

2017

Why buy it

✅1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $115 less on MSRP ($85 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 133.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.8 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($85 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2017 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 GT 120 / 9500 GT 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. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 9700M GT instead at 327 vs 325, 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 9700M GT 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?

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $115 cheaper on MSRP at $85 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 133.9% (3.8 vs 1.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9700M GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9700M GT vs GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 9700M GT

The GeForce 9700M GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 327 points.

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 26 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 325 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9700M GT scores 327 and the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT reaches 325 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9700M GT is built on G9x while the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT uses Pascal, both on 65 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9700M GT) vs 1,280 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT).

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
G3D Mark Score	327	325
Architecture	G9x	Pascal
Process Node	65 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	224	1280+471%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 9700M GT and 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT.

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (FL10_0) (GeForce 9700M GT) vs 10.0 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
DirectX	11.1 (FL10_0)+11%	10.0
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VP3 (GeForce 9700M GT) vs None (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT). Decoder: VP3 vs PureVideo VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce 9700M GT) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT).

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
Encoder	VP3	None
Decoder	VP3	PureVideo VP2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9700M GT draws 150W versus the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT's 120W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9700M GT) vs 350W (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT). Power connectors: Legacy vs None. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
TDP	150W	120W-20%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	None
Length	—	168mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	80°C	75-6%
Perf/Watt	2.2	2.7+23%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9700M GT came in at $200, while the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT launched at $85. On MSRP, GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT was 57.5% cheaper ($115 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.6 (GeForce 9700M GT) vs 3.8 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) — the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT offers 137.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT (2017 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 9700M GT	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT
MSRP	$200	$85-57%
Performance per Dollar	1.6	3.8+137%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	GP106
Release	July 15 2008	December 26 2017
Ranking	#825	#289

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