GeForce FX 5100 vs GeForce FX 5200SE

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 FX 5100 vs GeForce FX 5200SE 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 FX 5100 vs GeForce FX 5200SE: 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 FX 5100

2025

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Measures 160mm instead of 168mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
✅More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8 vs 12).
❌
1% HIGHER MSRP
$100 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌283.3% higher power demand at 575W vs 150W.

GeForce FX 5200SE

2012

Why buy it

✅+50% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 575W, a 425W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2012 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 FX 5200SE is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 50% in PassMark G3D (12 vs 8), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GeForce FX 5100 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 40nm, 170 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2012. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce FX 5200SE makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 51.5% (0.1 vs 0.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce FX 5200SE is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce FX 5100 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce FX 5100 vs GeForce FX 5200SE Technical Specifications

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

GeForce FX 5100

The GeForce FX 5100 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 30 2025. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock ranges from 2017 MHz to 2407 MHz. It has 21760 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 575W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 170 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8 points. Launch price was $1,999.

GeForce FX 5200SE

The GeForce FX 5200SE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2012. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 736 MHz. It has 288 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12 points. Launch price was $89.99.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5100 scores 8 versus the GeForce FX 5200SE's 12 — the GeForce FX 5200SE leads by 50%. The GeForce FX 5100 is built on Rankine while the GeForce FX 5200SE uses Rankine, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 21,760 (GeForce FX 5100) vs 288 (GeForce FX 5200SE). Raw compute: 104.8 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5100) vs 0.8479 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5200SE).

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
G3D Mark Score	8	12+50%
Architecture	Rankine	Rankine
Process Node	5 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	21760+7456%	288
Compute (TFLOPS)	104.8 TFLOPS+12260%	0.8479 TFLOPS
ROPs	176+633%	24
TMUs	680+1317%	48
L1 Cache	21.3 MB+5505%	0.38 MB
L2 Cache	96 MB+25163%	0.38 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
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 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5100 and 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5200SE. L2 Cache: 96 MB (GeForce FX 5100) vs 0.38 MB (GeForce FX 5200SE) — the GeForce FX 5100 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	96 MB+25163%	0.38 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5100) vs 9.0a (GeForce FX 5200SE). Vulkan: N/A vs N/A. OpenGL: 1.5 vs 1.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
DirectX	9.0a	9.0a
Vulkan	N/A	N/A
OpenGL	1.5	1.5
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce FX 5100) vs None (GeForce FX 5200SE). Decoder: None vs None. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5100) vs MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5200SE).

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
Encoder	None	None
Decoder	None	None
Codecs	MPEG-2	MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5100 draws 575W versus the GeForce FX 5200SE's 150W — a 117.2% difference. The GeForce FX 5200SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5100) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5200SE). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 160mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 65 vs 70.

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
TDP	575W	150W-74%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	160mm	168mm
Height	100mm	100mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	65-7%	70
Perf/Watt	0.0	0.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5100 came in at $100, while the GeForce FX 5200SE launched at $99. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5200SE was 1% cheaper ($1 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (GeForce FX 5100) vs 0.1 (GeForce FX 5200SE) — the GeForce FX 5200SE offers 0% better value. The newer card here is GeForce FX 5100 (2025 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce FX 5100	GeForce FX 5200SE
MSRP	$100	$99-1%
Performance per Dollar	0.1	0.1
Codename	GB202	GF114
Release	January 30 2025	February 20 2012
Ranking	#3	#706

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