GeForce FX 5200 vs GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

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 5200 vs GeForce FX 5600 Ultra 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 5200 vs GeForce FX 5600 Ultra: 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 5200

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $129 less on MSRP ($70 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 33.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($70 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Measures 152mm instead of 190mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8 vs 17).
❌259.4% higher power demand at 575W vs 160W.

GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

2011

Why buy it

✅+112.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Draws 160W instead of 575W, a 415W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
184.3% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$70 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $70 MSRP).
❌25% longer card at 190mm vs 152mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce FX 5600 Ultra is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 112.5% in PassMark G3D (17 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 5200 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 2011. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce FX 5200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $129 cheaper on MSRP at $70 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 33.8% (0.1 vs 0.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce FX 5600 Ultra still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce FX 5200 vs GeForce FX 5600 Ultra Technical Specifications

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

GeForce FX 5200

The GeForce FX 5200 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 5600 Ultra

The GeForce FX 5600 Ultra is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 25 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 823 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5200 scores 8 versus the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra's 17 — the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra leads by 112.5%. The GeForce FX 5200 is built on Rankine while the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra uses Rankine, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 21,760 (GeForce FX 5200) vs 384 (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra). Raw compute: 104.8 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5200) vs 1.263 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra).

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
G3D Mark Score	8	17+113%
Architecture	Rankine	Rankine
Process Node	5 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	21760+5567%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	104.8 TFLOPS+8198%	1.263 TFLOPS
ROPs	176+450%	32
TMUs	680+963%	64
L1 Cache	21.3 MB+4160%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	96 MB+19100%	0.5 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 128 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5200 and 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra. L2 Cache: 96 MB (GeForce FX 5200) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra) — the GeForce FX 5200 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.125 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	96 MB+19100%	0.5 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5200) vs 9.0a (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
DirectX	9.0a	9.0a
Max Displays	2	2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5200 draws 575W versus the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra's 160W — a 112.9% difference. The GeForce FX 5600 Ultra is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5200) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 152mm vs 190mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
TDP	575W	160W-72%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	152mm	190mm
Height	100mm	—
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	70	—
Perf/Watt	0.0	0.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5200 came in at $70, while the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra launched at $199. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5200 was 64.8% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (GeForce FX 5200) vs 0.1 (GeForce FX 5600 Ultra) — the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra offers 0% better value. The newer card here is GeForce FX 5200 (2025 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce FX 5200	GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
MSRP	$70-65%	$199
Performance per Dollar	0.1	0.1
Codename	GB202	GF114
Release	January 30 2025	January 25 2011
Ranking	#3	#580

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