GeForce GT 120M vs GeForce GT 220M

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 120M vs GeForce GT 220M 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 120M vs GeForce GT 220M: 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 120M

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 220M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GT 220M

2013

Why buy it

✅14.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 220M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.6% in PassMark G3D (161 vs 151), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GT 120M 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 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 220M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 220M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 120M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 120M vs GeForce GT 220M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 120M

The GeForce GT 120M 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: 151 points. Launch price was $79.

GeForce GT 220M

The GeForce GT 220M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 161 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 120M scores 151 versus the GeForce GT 220M's 161 — the GeForce GT 220M leads by 6.6%. The GeForce GT 120M is built on Pascal while the GeForce GT 220M uses Kepler, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 120M) vs 384 (GeForce GT 220M). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 120M) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 220M). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 967 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
G3D Mark Score	151	161+7%
Architecture	Pascal	Kepler
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.127 TFLOPS+52%	0.7427 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1468 MHz+52%	967 MHz
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	24	32+33%
L1 Cache	144 KB+350%	32 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
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 1 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 120M and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 220M. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 120M) vs 256 KB (GeForce GT 220M) — the GeForce GT 120M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (FL10_0) (GeForce GT 120M) vs 10.0 (GeForce GT 220M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
DirectX	11.1 (FL10_0)+11%	10.0
OpenGL	3.3	3.3
Max Displays	2+100%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VP3 (GeForce GT 120M) vs No (GeForce GT 220M). Decoder: VP3 vs PureVideo HD VP3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 120M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce GT 220M).

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
Encoder	VP3	No
Decoder	VP3	PureVideo HD VP3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 120M draws 30W versus the GeForce GT 220M's 50W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GT 120M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 120M) vs 350W (GeForce GT 220M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 120M	GeForce GT 220M
TDP	30W-40%	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	80°C	70°C-13%
Perf/Watt	5.0+56%	3.2