GeForce FX 5200LE vs GeForce FX 5600

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5200LE

2025Core: 2017 MHzBoost: 2407 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5600

2011Core: 810 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce FX 5200LE vs GeForce FX 5600 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 FX 5200LE vs GeForce FX 5600 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 5200LE vs GeForce FX 5600: 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 5200LE

2025

Why buy it

  • Costs $157 less on MSRP ($43 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • Delivers 150.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.2 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($43 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 180mm, a 12mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (7 vs 13).
  • 283.3% higher power demand at 575W vs 150W.

GeForce FX 5600

2011

Why buy it

  • +85.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Draws 150W instead of 575W, a 425W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 365.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $200 MSRPvs$43 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $43 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce FX 5600 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 85.7% in PassMark G3D (13 vs 7), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce FX 5200LE is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 256 MB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 40nm, 170 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce FX 5200LE makes the most sense to buy today. It is $157 cheaper on MSRP at $43 vs $200, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 150.4% (0.2 vs 0.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce FX 5600 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce FX 5200LE vs GeForce FX 5600 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5200LE

The GeForce FX 5200LE 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: 7 points. Launch price was $1,999.

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5600

The GeForce FX 5600 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 810 MHz. It has 336 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5200LE scores 7 versus the GeForce FX 5600's 13 — the GeForce FX 5600 leads by 85.7%. The GeForce FX 5200LE is built on Rankine while the GeForce FX 5600 uses Rankine, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 21,760 (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 336 (GeForce FX 5600). Raw compute: 104.8 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce FX 5600).

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
G3D Mark Score
7
13+86%
Architecture
Rankine
Rankine
Process Node
5 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
21760+6376%
336
Compute (TFLOPS)
104.8 TFLOPS+9524%
1.089 TFLOPS
ROPs
176+450%
32
TMUs
680+1114%
56
L1 Cache
21.3 MB+4741%
0.44 MB
L2 Cache
96 MB+19100%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
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)

The GeForce FX 5200LE has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce FX 5600 carries 256 MB. GeForce FX 5200LE gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5200LE and 128-bit on the GeForce FX 5600. L2 Cache: 96 MB (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce FX 5600) — the GeForce FX 5200LE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB+100%
0.25 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
96 MB+19100%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 9.0a (GeForce FX 5600). Vulkan: None vs None. OpenGL: 1.5 vs 1.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
DirectX
9.0a
9.0a
Vulkan
None
None
OpenGL
1.5
1.5
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs No (GeForce FX 5600). Decoder: No vs No. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5600).

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
Encoder
No
No
Decoder
No
No
Codecs
MPEG-2
MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5200LE draws 575W versus the GeForce FX 5600's 150W — a 117.2% difference. The GeForce FX 5600 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5600). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 180mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
TDP
575W
150W-74%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
168mm
180mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
65°C-7%
70°C
Perf/Watt
0.0
0.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5200LE came in at $43, while the GeForce FX 5600 launched at $200. On MSRP, GeForce FX 5200LE was 78.5% cheaper ($157 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.2 (GeForce FX 5200LE) vs 0.1 (GeForce FX 5600) — the GeForce FX 5200LE offers 100% better value. The newer card here is GeForce FX 5200LE (2025 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce FX 5200LEGeForce FX 5600
MSRP
$43-79%
$200
Performance per Dollar
0.2+100%
0.1
Codename
GB202
GF114
Release
January 30 2025
May 17 2011
Ranking
#3
#605

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