GeForce FX 5900XT vs GeForce 6500

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce 6500

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

19089%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

18339%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

18126%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

18095%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

18058%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

17955%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

17729%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

17663%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

17500%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

17453%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

17242%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

17205%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

16895%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

16884%

#343

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

21053%

#359

GeForce 6500

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

100%

#360

RADEON X800 GT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $15

89%

#361

GeForce 6600

MSRP: $270|Avg: $10

84%

#362

RADEON 9550

MSRP: $129|Avg: $30

71%

#363

Radeon X1600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $49

66%

#364

GeForce FX 5700LE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

66%

#365

GeForce PCX 5750

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

61%

#366

GeForce FX 5700

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

55%

#367

RADEON X800 XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $20

53%

#368

RADEON X800 XL

MSRP: $349|Avg: $15

53%

#369

RADEON 9600 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

47%

#370

RADEON X800 PRO

MSRP: $399|Avg: $15

42%

#371

GeForce FX 5200LE

MSRP: $43|Avg: $25

42%

#372

GeForce FX 5200SE

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

32%

#373

GeForce FX 5200

MSRP: $70|Avg: $25

29%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce FX 5900XT is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 5.3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce 6500 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+5.3%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-5.3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce FX 5900XT remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce FX 5900XT Benchmark Check

GeForce 6500 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce FX 5900XT and GeForce 6500

GeForce FX 5900XT

The GeForce FX 5900XT 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: 40 points. Launch price was $699.

GeForce 6500

The GeForce 6500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 1058 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38 points. Launch price was $109.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5900XT scores 40 versus the GeForce 6500's 38 — the GeForce FX 5900XT leads by 5.3%. The GeForce FX 5900XT is built on Rankine while the GeForce 6500 uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 384 (GeForce 6500). Raw compute: 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 0.8125 TFLOPS (GeForce 6500).

Feature	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
G3D Mark Score	40+5%	38
Architecture	Rankine	Kepler
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024 ×2+167%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.244 TFLOPS ×2+53%	0.8125 TFLOPS
ROPs	48 ×2+200%	16
TMUs	64 ×2+100%	32
L1 Cache	1 MB+3233%	0.03 MB
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce FX 5900XT comes with 128 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce 6500 has 256 MB. The GeForce 6500 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 256 KB (GeForce 6500) — the GeForce FX 5900XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0a (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 9.0c (GeForce 6500). OpenGL: 1.5 vs 2.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
DirectX	9.0a	9.0c
OpenGL	1.5	2.1+40%
Max Displays	1	2+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5900XT draws 365W versus the GeForce 6500's 65W — a 139.5% difference. The GeForce 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 350W (GeForce 6500). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 218mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900XT	GeForce 6500
TDP	365W	65W-82%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	218mm	168mm
Height	—	100mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	—	65°C
Perf/Watt	0.1	0.6+500%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce FX 5900XT launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the GeForce 6500 launched at $100 and now averages $5. The GeForce FX 5900XT costs 100+% less ($5 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (GeForce FX 5900XT) vs 7.6 (GeForce 6500) — the GeForce FX 5900XT offers Infinity% better value. The GeForce 6500 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2011).