GeForce GT 230 vs Radeon R3

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 230 vs Radeon R3 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 230 vs Radeon R3: 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 230

2017

Why buy it

✅1.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $6 less on MSRP ($44 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
✅Delivers 16.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.3 vs 6.3 G3D/$ ($44 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
✅Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.

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.

Radeon R3

2019

Why buy it

✅GeForce GT 230 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 230 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
13.6% HIGHER MSRP
$50 MSRPvs$44 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.3 vs 7.3 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $44 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 230 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.9% in PassMark G3D (323 vs 314), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R3 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2017. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 230 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $6 cheaper on MSRP at $44 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 16.9% (7.3 vs 6.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. 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, Radeon R3 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 230 vs Radeon R3 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R3

The Radeon R3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 314 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 230 scores 323 and the Radeon R3 reaches 314 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 230 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R3 uses GCN 4.0, both on a 14 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 230) vs 512 (Radeon R3). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 230) vs 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon R3). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1218 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
G3D Mark Score	323+3%	314
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 4.0
Process Node	14 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	512+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.127 TFLOPS	1.247 TFLOPS+11%
Boost Clock	1468 MHz+21%	1218 MHz
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	24	32+33%
L1 Cache	144 KB+13%	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 230 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R3 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
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 230 and 64-bit on the Radeon R3.

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce GT 230) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R3). Vulkan: None vs 1.2. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
DirectX	10.0	12 (12_0)+20%
Vulkan	None	1.2
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 230) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP3 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce GT 230) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R3).

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
Encoder	No	VCE 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP3	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 230 draws 30W versus the Radeon R3's 50W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GT 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 230) vs 350W (Radeon R3). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
TDP	30W-40%	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	168mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	70°C-7%
Perf/Watt	10.8+71%	6.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 230 came in at $44, while the Radeon R3 launched at $50. On MSRP, GeForce GT 230 was 12% cheaper ($6 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 7.3 (GeForce GT 230) vs 6.3 (Radeon R3) — the GeForce GT 230 offers 15.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R3 (2019 vs 2017).

Feature	GeForce GT 230	Radeon R3
MSRP	$44-12%	$50
Performance per Dollar	7.3+16%	6.3
Codename	GP108	Polaris 23
Release	May 17 2017	May 13 2019
Ranking	#641	#757

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