GeForce GT 230M vs Radeon R5 230

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 R5 230 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 R5 230: 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

✅15.5% 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 4.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon R5 230

2017

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

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.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB 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 230M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 15.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 230 instead at 222 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?

GeForce GT 230M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM and a 14nm process instead of 28nm. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 230 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, Radeon R5 230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 230M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 230M vs Radeon R5 230 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 R5 230

The Radeon R5 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 230M scores 216 and the Radeon R5 230 reaches 222 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 230M is built on Pascal while the Radeon R5 230 uses GCN 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 230M) vs 384 (Radeon R5 230). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 230M) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 230). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1024 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
G3D Mark Score	216	222+3%
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 3.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.127 TFLOPS+43%	0.7864 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1468 MHz+43%	1024 MHz
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	24	24
L1 Cache	144 KB+50%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 230M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 230 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 230M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 230 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 128-bit on the Radeon R5 230. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 230M) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 230) — the GeForce GT 230M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
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	512 KB+300%	128 KB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce GT 230M) vs 11.2 (Radeon R5 230). Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
DirectX	10.1	11.2+11%
Max Displays	1	2+100%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 230M) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon R5 230). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 2.2.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
Encoder	No	UVD 2.2
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 2.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 230M draws 30W versus the Radeon R5 230's 50W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GT 230M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 230M) vs 350W (Radeon R5 230). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 168mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce GT 230M	Radeon R5 230
TDP	30W-40%	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	168mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	7.2+64%	4.4