GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 610

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT

2017Core: 1506 MHzBoost: 1709 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GT 610

2012Core: 902 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 610 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 GT 120 / 9500 GT vs GeForce GT 610 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 610: 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

  • 44.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 73.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $85 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.8 vs 6.8 G3D/$ ($85 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).
  • 84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

GeForce GT 610

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $36 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $85 MSRP).
  • Delivers 76.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.8 vs 3.8 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $85 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
  • Measures 145mm instead of 168mm, a 23mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB 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 44.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 610 instead at 331 vs 325, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
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. The case is simple: a 16nm 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 610 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $36 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $85, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 76.7% (6.8 vs 3.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 610 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 610 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 610

The GeForce GT 610 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 5 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 902 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 331 points. Launch price was $99.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT scores 325 and the GeForce GT 610 reaches 331 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT is built on Pascal while the GeForce GT 610 uses Kepler, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 384 (GeForce GT 610). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 0.6927 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 610).

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
G3D Mark Score
325
331+2%
Architecture
Pascal
Kepler
Process Node
16 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1280+233%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.375 TFLOPS+532%
0.6927 TFLOPS
ROPs
40+150%
16
TMUs
80+150%
32
L1 Cache
480 KB+1400%
32 KB
L2 Cache
1.25 MB+400%
0.25 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
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)

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 610 carries 2 GB. GeForce GT 610 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 610. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 610) — the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
2 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
1.25 MB+400%
0.25 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 610). Vulkan: N/A vs None. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.2. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
DirectX
10.0
11.0+10%
Vulkan
N/A
None
OpenGL
3.3
4.2+27%
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs No (GeForce GT 610). Decoder: PureVideo VP2 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 610).

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
Encoder
None
No
Decoder
PureVideo VP2
PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs
MPEG-2,VC-1,H.264
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT draws 120W versus the GeForce GT 610's 65W — a 59.5% difference. The GeForce GT 610 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 300W (GeForce GT 610). Power connectors: None vs None. Card length: 168mm vs 145mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
TDP
120W
65W-46%
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
None
None
Length
168mm
145mm
Height
111mm
69mm
Slots
1
1
Temp (Load)
75
65°C-13%
Perf/Watt
2.7
5.1+89%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT came in at $85, while the GeForce GT 610 launched at $49. On MSRP, GeForce GT 610 was 42.4% cheaper ($36 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.8 (GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT) vs 6.8 (GeForce GT 610) — the GeForce GT 610 offers 78.9% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 120 / 9500 GT (2017 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GT 120 / 9500 GTGeForce GT 610
MSRP
$85
$49-42%
Performance per Dollar
3.8
6.8+79%
Codename
GP106
GK107
Release
December 26 2017
June 5 2012
Ranking
#289
#837

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