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 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 230 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 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 230: 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 120 / 9500 GT

2017

Why buy it

✅14.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
93.2% HIGHER MSRP
$85 MSRPvs$44 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.8 vs 7.3 G3D/$ ($85 MSRP vs $44 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 120W vs 30W.

GeForce GT 230

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $41 less on MSRP ($44 MSRP vs $85 MSRP).
✅Delivers 92% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.3 vs 3.8 G3D/$ ($44 MSRP vs $85 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 120W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (325 vs 323), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 230 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $41 cheaper on MSRP at $44 vs $85, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 92% (7.3 vs 3.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 230 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 26 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 325 points.

GeForce GT 230

The GeForce GT 230 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: 323 points. Launch price was $79.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT scores 325 and the GeForce GT 230 reaches 323 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is built on Pascal while the GeForce GT 230 uses Pascal, both on 16 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 384 (GeForce GT 230). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 230). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1468 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
G3D Mark Score	325	323
Architecture	Pascal	Pascal
Process Node	16 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1280+233%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS+288%	1.127 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+16%	1468 MHz
ROPs	40+150%	16
TMUs	80+233%	24
L1 Cache	480 KB+233%	144 KB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+150%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
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 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT and 64-bit on the GeForce GT 230. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 0.5 MB (GeForce GT 230) — the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+150%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 10.0 (GeForce GT 230). Vulkan: N/A vs None. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
DirectX	10.0	10.0
Vulkan	N/A	None
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs No (GeForce GT 230). Decoder: PureVideo VP2 vs PureVideo HD VP3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce GT 230).

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
Encoder	None	No
Decoder	PureVideo VP2	PureVideo HD VP3
Codecs	MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT draws 120W versus the GeForce GT 230's 30W — a 120% difference. The GeForce GT 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 350W (GeForce GT 230). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 168mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
TDP	120W	30W-75%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	None	PCIe-powered
Length	168mm	168mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	75	75°C
Perf/Watt	2.7	10.8+300%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT came in at $85, while the GeForce GT 230 launched at $44. On MSRP, GeForce GT 230 was 48.2% cheaper ($41 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.8 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 7.3 (GeForce GT 230) — the GeForce GT 230 offers 92.1% better value.

Feature	GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT	GeForce GT 230
MSRP	$85	$44-48%
Performance per Dollar	3.8	7.3+92%
Codename	GP106	GP108
Release	December 26 2017	May 17 2017
Ranking	#289	#641

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