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 GT 1030 vs GeForce GTX 650 Ti 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 GT 1030 vs GeForce GTX 650 Ti: 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 GT 1030

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅Delivers 79.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.5 vs 16.9 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 110W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 650 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 650 Ti

2012

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
88.6% HIGHER MSRP
$149 MSRPvs$79 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 30.5 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $79 MSRP).
❌266.7% higher power demand at 110W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 650 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.9% in PassMark G3D (2,525 vs 2,407), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GT 1030 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 1030 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 cheaper on MSRP at $79 vs $149, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 79.8% (30.5 vs 16.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 650 Ti still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 1030 vs GeForce GTX 650 Ti Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 1030

The GeForce GT 1030 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1228 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,407 points. Launch price was $79.

GeForce GTX 650 Ti

The GeForce GTX 650 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 9 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 928 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,525 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 1030 scores 2,407 and the GeForce GTX 650 Ti reaches 2,525 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 1030 is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 650 Ti uses Kepler, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 1030) vs 768 (GeForce GTX 650 Ti). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 1030) vs 1.425 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 650 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
G3D Mark Score	2,407	2,525+5%
Architecture	Pascal	Kepler
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	768+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.127 TFLOPS	1.425 TFLOPS+26%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	24	64+167%
L1 Cache	144 KB+125%	64 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
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)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 1030 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 650 Ti. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 1030) vs 256 KB (GeForce GTX 650 Ti) — the GeForce GT 1030 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	86.4 GB/s
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GT 1030) vs 11.0 (GeForce GTX 650 Ti). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
DirectX	12+9%	11.0
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GT 1030) vs NVENC (1st Gen) (GeForce GTX 650 Ti). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs PureVideo VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GT 1030) vs MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GTX 650 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
Encoder	None	NVENC (1st Gen)
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	PureVideo VP5
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 1030 draws 30W versus the GeForce GTX 650 Ti's 110W — a 114.3% difference. The GeForce GT 1030 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 1030) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 650 Ti). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 145mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70.

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
TDP	30W-73%	110W
Recommended PSU	300W-25%	400W
Power Connector	None	1x 6-pin
Length	145mm	145mm
Height	69mm	111mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70-13%
Perf/Watt	80.2+249%	23.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 1030 came in at $79, while the GeForce GTX 650 Ti launched at $149. On MSRP, GeForce GT 1030 was 47% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.5 (GeForce GT 1030) vs 16.9 (GeForce GTX 650 Ti) — the GeForce GT 1030 offers 80.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 1030 (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GT 1030	GeForce GTX 650 Ti
MSRP	$79-47%	$149
Performance per Dollar	30.5+80%	16.9
Codename	GP108	GK106
Release	May 17 2017	October 9 2012
Ranking	#641	#633

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