GeForce GT 120 vs Radeon HD 3450

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 120

2017Core: 1228 MHzBoost: 1468 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 3450

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GT 120 vs Radeon HD 3450 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 vs Radeon HD 3450 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 vs Radeon HD 3450: 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

2017

Why buy it

  • 4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 30W instead of 110W, a 80W reduction.
  • More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • 100% HIGHER MSRP
    $100 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.9 vs 3.6 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 3450

2008

Why buy it

  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Delivers 90.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.6 vs 1.9 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 120 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 266.7% higher power demand at 110W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 120 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 5% in PassMark G3D (188 vs 179), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GT 120 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 55nm and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 3450 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 90.4% (3.6 vs 1.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 3450 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 120 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 120 vs Radeon HD 3450 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 120

The GeForce GT 120 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: 188 points. Launch price was $79.

AMD

Radeon HD 3450

The Radeon HD 3450 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 25 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 179 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 120 scores 188 versus the Radeon HD 3450's 179 — the GeForce GT 120 leads by 5%. The GeForce GT 120 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 3450 uses TeraScale, both on 14 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 120) vs 800 (Radeon HD 3450). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 120) vs 1 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3450).

FeatureGeForce GT 120Radeon HD 3450
G3D Mark Score
188+5%
179
Architecture
Pascal
TeraScale
Process Node
14 nm
55 nm
Shading Units
384
800+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.127 TFLOPS+13%
1 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
24
40+67%
L1 Cache
144 KB
160 KB+11%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 120 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3450 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 120Radeon HD 3450
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 3450. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 120) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 3450) — the GeForce GT 120 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 120Radeon HD 3450
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 120 draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 3450's 110W — a 114.3% difference. The GeForce GT 120 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 120) vs 350W (Radeon HD 3450). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GT 120Radeon HD 3450
TDP
30W-73%
110W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
65°C
Perf/Watt
6.3+294%
1.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 120 came in at $100, while the Radeon HD 3450 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 3450 was 50% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.9 (GeForce GT 120) vs 3.6 (Radeon HD 3450) — the Radeon HD 3450 offers 89.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 120 (2017 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce GT 120Radeon HD 3450
MSRP
$100
$50-50%
Performance per Dollar
1.9
3.6+89%
Codename
GP108
RV770
Release
May 17 2017
June 25 2008
Ranking
#641
#876

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.