GeForce 9800M GS vs Radeon HD 8690A

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 9800M GS vs Radeon HD 8690A 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 9800M GS vs Radeon HD 8690A: 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 9800M GS

2008

Why buy it

✅75.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
33.3% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.6 vs 3.4 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8690A

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.4 vs 2.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 150W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9800M 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 9800M GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 75.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (517 vs 514), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 9800M GS 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?

Radeon HD 8690A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 32.6% (3.4 vs 2.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8690A is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9800M GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9800M GS vs Radeon HD 8690A Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 9800M GS

The GeForce 9800M GS 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: 517 points.

Radeon HD 8690A

The Radeon HD 8690A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 775 MHz to 825 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 514 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9800M GS scores 517 and the Radeon HD 8690A reaches 514 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800M GS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8690A uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 320 (Radeon HD 8690A).

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
G3D Mark Score	517	514
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	320+43%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800M GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8690A leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
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 64-bit on the GeForce 9800M GS and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8690A.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 11_1 (Radeon HD 8690A). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	11_1
Max Displays	2	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP3) vs UVD 3.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
Encoder	—	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP3)	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800M GS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8690A's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon HD 8690A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8690A). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
TDP	150W	50W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.4	10.3+203%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800M GS came in at $200, while the Radeon HD 8690A launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8690A was 25% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.6 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 3.4 (Radeon HD 8690A) — the Radeon HD 8690A offers 30.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8690A (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon HD 8690A
MSRP	$200	$150-25%
Performance per Dollar	2.6	3.4+31%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Sun
Release	July 15 2008	March 1 2013
Ranking	#825	#891

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