GeForce 9800M GS vs Radeon R5 330

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800M GS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R5 330

2017Core: 730 MHzBoost: 1024 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce 9800M GS vs Radeon R5 330 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 9800M GS vs Radeon R5 330 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 R5 330: 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

  • 63.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 146.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $200 MSRPvs$81 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.6 vs 6.5 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $81 MSRP).
  • 200% higher power demand at 150W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 330

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $119 less on MSRP ($81 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • Delivers 149.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.5 vs 2.6 G3D/$ ($81 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • 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.
  • 2017 hardware with 2 GB 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 63.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 330 instead at 523 vs 517, 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 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 R5 330 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $119 cheaper on MSRP at $81 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 149.8% (6.5 vs 2.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 330 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 R5 330 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon R5 330

The Radeon R5 330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 523 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9800M GS scores 517 and the Radeon R5 330 reaches 523 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800M GS is built on G9x while the Radeon R5 330 uses GCN 3.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 384 (Radeon R5 330).

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
G3D Mark Score
517
523+1%
Architecture
G9x
GCN 3.0
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
224
384+71%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800M GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 330 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
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 9800M GS has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 330 carries 2 GB. Radeon R5 330 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 9800M GS and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 330.

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
2 GB+300%
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 12 (FL 11_1) (Radeon R5 330). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
DirectX
11.1 (10_0)
12 (FL 11_1)+8%
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP3) vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R5 330).

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
Decoder
PureVideo HD (VP3)
UVD 3.1
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800M GS draws 150W versus the Radeon R5 330's 50W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R5 330 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 350W (Radeon R5 330). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
TDP
150W
50W-67%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
PCIe-powered
Length
168mm
Height
69mm
Slots
0-100%
1
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
3.4
10.5+209%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800M GS came in at $200, while the Radeon R5 330 launched at $81. On MSRP, Radeon R5 330 was 59.5% cheaper ($119 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.6 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 6.5 (Radeon R5 330) — the Radeon R5 330 offers 150% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 330 (2017 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 9800M GSRadeon R5 330
MSRP
$200
$81-60%
Performance per Dollar
2.6
6.5+150%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Weston
Release
July 15 2008
April 18 2017
Ranking
#825
#873

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.