GeForce 9800M GS vs Radeon R7 M260

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 R7 M260 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 R7 M260: 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

✅64.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 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.
❌
81.8% HIGHER MSRP
$200 MSRPvs$110 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.6 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Radeon R7 M260

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $90 less on MSRP ($110 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 85.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.8 vs 2.6 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 9800M GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 4 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 64.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 M260 instead at 527 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 R7 M260 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $90 cheaper on MSRP at $110 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 85.3% (4.8 vs 2.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 M260 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 R7 M260 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 R7 M260

The Radeon R7 M260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 6 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 620 MHz to 715 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 527 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9800M GS scores 517 and the Radeon R7 M260 reaches 527 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800M GS is built on G9x while the Radeon R7 M260 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 384 (Radeon R7 M260).

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
G3D Mark Score	517	527+2%
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
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 R7 M260 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
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 9800M GS has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M260 carries 4 GB. Radeon R7 M260 gives you 700% 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 R7 M260.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	4 GB+700%
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 (FL11_1) (Radeon R7 M260). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 (FL11_1)+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP3) vs UVD 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R7 M260).

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
Encoder	—	VCE 1.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP3)	UVD 4.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800M GS draws 150W versus the Radeon R7 M260's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R7 M260 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M260). Power connectors: Legacy vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
TDP	150W	75W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Mobile
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	3.4	7.0+106%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800M GS came in at $200, while the Radeon R7 M260 launched at $110. On MSRP, Radeon R7 M260 was 45% cheaper ($90 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.6 (GeForce 9800M GS) vs 4.8 (Radeon R7 M260) — the Radeon R7 M260 offers 84.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 M260 (2015 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 9800M GS	Radeon R7 M260
MSRP	$200	$110-45%
Performance per Dollar	2.6	4.8+85%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Opal
Release	July 15 2008	December 6 2015
Ranking	#825	#878

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