GeForce GT 230M vs Radeon R3E

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 230M vs Radeon R3E 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 230M vs Radeon R3E: 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 230M

2017

Why buy it

✅1.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R3E

2019

Why buy it

✅GeForce GT 230M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3E is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 230M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 230M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R3E instead at 225 vs 216, 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?

Radeon R3E 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?

Radeon R3E makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GT 230M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 230M vs Radeon R3E Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 230M

The GeForce GT 230M 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: 216 points. Launch price was $79.

Radeon R3E

The Radeon R3E 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: 225 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 230M scores 216 and the Radeon R3E reaches 225 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 230M is built on Pascal while the Radeon R3E uses GCN 4.0, both on a 14 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 230M) vs 512 (Radeon R3E). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 230M) vs 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon R3E). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1218 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
G3D Mark Score	216	225+4%
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 230M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R3E leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
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 230M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R3E carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 230M 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 230M and 64-bit on the Radeon R3E.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce GT 230M) vs 12_0 (Radeon R3E). Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
DirectX	10.1	12_0+19%
Max Displays	1	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 230M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3E). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
Encoder	No	VCE 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 230M draws 30W versus the Radeon R3E's 50W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GT 230M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 230M) vs 350W (Radeon R3E). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 1mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
TDP	30W-40%	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	1mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	7.2+60%	4.5

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R3E (2019 vs 2017).

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R3E
MSRP	—	$0
Codename	GP108	Polaris 23
Release	May 17 2017	May 13 2019
Ranking	#641	#757

Search GeForce GT 230M on Amazon

Search Radeon R3E on Amazon

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.