GeForce FX 5900 vs Radeon X1200

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5900

2011Core: 607 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon X1200

2019Core: 730 MHzBoost: 1024 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce FX 5900 vs Radeon X1200 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 5900 vs Radeon X1200 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 5900 vs Radeon X1200: 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 5900

2011

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 398.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$80 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
  • 630% higher power demand at 365W vs 50W.

Radeon X1200

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $319 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 370.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.4 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 128 MB).
  • GeForce FX 5900 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1200 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 50W instead of 365W, a 315W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce FX 5900 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 6.1% in PassMark G3D (35 vs 33), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon X1200 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 128 MB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon X1200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $319 cheaper on MSRP at $80 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 370.3% (0.4 vs 0.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce FX 5900 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce FX 5900 vs Radeon X1200 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce FX 5900

The GeForce FX 5900 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 24 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 1024 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 365W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35 points. Launch price was $699.

AMD

Radeon X1200

The Radeon X1200 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. 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: 33 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5900 scores 35 versus the Radeon X1200's 33 — the GeForce FX 5900 leads by 6.1%. The GeForce FX 5900 is built on Rankine while the Radeon X1200 uses GCN 3.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce FX 5900) vs 384 (Radeon X1200). Raw compute: 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce FX 5900) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon X1200).

FeatureGeForce FX 5900Radeon X1200
G3D Mark Score
35+6%
33
Architecture
Rankine
GCN 3.0
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1024 ×2+167%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.244 TFLOPS ×2+58%
0.7864 TFLOPS
ROPs
48 ×2+500%
8
TMUs
64 ×2+167%
24
L1 Cache
1 MB+1011%
0.09 MB
L2 Cache
768 KB+500%
128 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce FX 5900 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon X1200 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce FX 5900Radeon X1200
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 FX 5900 has 128 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon X1200 carries 512 MB. Radeon X1200 gives you 300% 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 5900 and 64-bit on the Radeon X1200. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce FX 5900) vs 128 KB (Radeon X1200) — the GeForce FX 5900 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce FX 5900Radeon X1200
VRAM Capacity
0.125 GB
0.5 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
768 KB+500%
128 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5900 draws 365W versus the Radeon X1200's 50W — a 151.8% difference. The Radeon X1200 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5900) vs 350W (Radeon X1200). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce FX 5900Radeon X1200
TDP
365W
50W-86%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
PCIe-powered
Length
218mm
Slots
1
Perf/Watt
0.1
0.7+600%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce FX 5900 came in at $399, while the Radeon X1200 launched at $80. On MSRP, Radeon X1200 was 79.9% cheaper ($319 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (GeForce FX 5900) vs 0.4 (Radeon X1200) — the Radeon X1200 offers 300% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1200 (2019 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce FX 5900Radeon X1200
MSRP
$399
$80-80%
Performance per Dollar
0.1
0.4+300%
Codename
GF110
Polaris 24
Release
March 24 2011
May 13 2019
Ranking
#555
#898

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