GeForce GT 220 vs Radeon HD 8250

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 220

2008Core: 602 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8250

2012Boost: 1000 MHz
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GeForce GT 220 vs Radeon HD 8250 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 220 vs Radeon HD 8250 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 220 vs Radeon HD 8250: 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 220

2008

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8250 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 38% HIGHER MSRP
    $69 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.2 vs 4.2 G3D/$ ($69 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 81.5% higher power demand at 236W vs 130W.

Radeon HD 8250

2012

Why buy it

  • 0.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $19 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $69 MSRP).
  • Delivers 31.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.2 vs 3.2 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $69 MSRP).
  • Draws 130W instead of 236W, a 106W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 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?
Radeon HD 8250 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 220 instead at 222 vs 212, 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 220 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8250 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $19 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $69, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.8% (4.2 vs 3.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8250 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 220 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 220 vs Radeon HD 8250 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 220

The GeForce GT 220 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points. Launch price was $649.

AMD

Radeon HD 8250

The Radeon HD 8250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 212 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 220 scores 222 and the Radeon HD 8250 reaches 212 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 220 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8250 uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GT 220) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8250). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 220) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8250).

FeatureGeForce GT 220Radeon HD 8250
G3D Mark Score
222+5%
212
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
240
1024+327%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6221 TFLOPS
1.761 TFLOPS+183%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80+25%
64
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 220 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8250 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 220Radeon HD 8250
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)

The GeForce GT 220 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8250 carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 220 gives you 100% 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 220 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8250. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 220) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8250) — the Radeon HD 8250 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 220Radeon HD 8250
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 220 draws 236W versus the Radeon HD 8250's 130W — a 57.9% difference. The Radeon HD 8250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 220) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8250). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GT 220Radeon HD 8250
TDP
236W
130W-45%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
65°C
Perf/Watt
0.9
1.6+78%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 220 came in at $69, while the Radeon HD 8250 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8250 was 27.5% cheaper ($19 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 3.2 (GeForce GT 220) vs 4.2 (Radeon HD 8250) — the Radeon HD 8250 offers 31.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8250 (2012 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce GT 220Radeon HD 8250
MSRP
$69
$50-28%
Performance per Dollar
3.2
4.2+31%
Codename
GT200
Pitcairn
Release
June 16 2008
March 5 2012
Ranking
#802
#503

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