GeForce FX 5900ZT vs RADEON 9600 XT

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 RADEON 9600 XT

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

40300%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

38717%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

38267%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

38200%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

38122%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

37906%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

37428%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

37289%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

36944%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

36844%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

36400%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

36322%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

35667%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

35644%

#355

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

44444%

#370

RADEON 9600 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

100%

#371

RADEON X800 PRO

MSRP: $399|Avg: $15

89%

#372

GeForce FX 5200LE

MSRP: $43|Avg: $25

89%

#373

GeForce FX 5200SE

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

67%

#374

RADEON 9800 XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $30

61%

#375

GeForce FX 5200

MSRP: $70|Avg: $25

61%

#376

GeForce PCX 5300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

56%

#377

GeForce FX 5900

MSRP: $399|Avg: $20

50%

#378

GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

MSRP: $199|Avg: $20

50%

#379

GeForce FX 5100

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

44%

#380

GeForce FX 5600XT

MSRP: $129|Avg: $10

39%

#381

GeForce FX 5600

MSRP: $200|Avg: $10

39%

#382

GeForce4 Ti 4200

MSRP: $199|Avg: $5

17%

#383

GeForce3 Ti 200

MSRP: $149|Avg: $49

17%

#384

GeForce4 Ti 4800

MSRP: $399|Avg: $40

11%

#385

GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE

MSRP: $299|Avg: $30

11%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9600 XT is significantly newer (2022 vs 2011). The RADEON 9600 XT likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5900ZT lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The RADEON 9600 XT is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 6.1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (256 MB vs 128 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce FX 5900ZT.

Insight	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9600 XT
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-6.1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+6.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))	RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) (5nm)
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	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the RADEON 9600 XT 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 5900ZT Benchmark Check

RADEON 9600 XT Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce FX 5900ZT and RADEON 9600 XT

GeForce FX 5900ZT

The GeForce FX 5900ZT 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: 33 points. Launch price was $699.

RADEON 9600 XT

The RADEON 9600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1387 MHz to 2394 MHz. It has 5376 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35 points. Launch price was $899.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5900ZT scores 33 versus the RADEON 9600 XT's 35 — the RADEON 9600 XT leads by 6.1%. The GeForce FX 5900ZT is built on Rankine while the RADEON 9600 XT uses RDNA 3.0, both on 40 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 5,376 (RADEON 9600 XT). Raw compute: 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 51.48 TFLOPS (RADEON 9600 XT).

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9600 XT
G3D Mark Score	33	35+6%
Architecture	Rankine	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	40 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	1024 ×2	5376+425%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.244 TFLOPS ×2	51.48 TFLOPS+4038%
ROPs	48 ×2	192+300%
TMUs	64 ×2	336+425%
L1 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	6 MB+700%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9600 XT
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce FX 5900ZT comes with 128 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON 9600 XT has 256 MB. The RADEON 9600 XT offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 6 MB (RADEON 9600 XT) — the RADEON 9600 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9600 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	6 MB+700%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5900ZT draws 365W versus the RADEON 9600 XT's 300W — a 19.5% difference. The RADEON 9600 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 350W (RADEON 9600 XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9600 XT
TDP	365W	300W-18%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	218mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	70	—
Perf/Watt	0.1	0.1

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce FX 5900ZT launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the RADEON 9600 XT launched at $199 and now averages $15. The GeForce FX 5900ZT costs 100+% less ($15 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 2.3 (RADEON 9600 XT) — the GeForce FX 5900ZT offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9600 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2011).