GeForce GT 420 vs Radeon R5 M230

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 420 vs Radeon R5 M230 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 420 vs Radeon R5 M230: 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 420

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
✅Draws 64W instead of 75W, a 11W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 M230 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R5 M230

2015

Why buy it

✅59.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN (2012−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1.3% HIGHER MSRP
$80 MSRPvs$79 MSRP
❌17.2% higher power demand at 75W vs 64W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R5 M230 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 59.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 420 instead at 432 vs 425, 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 420 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 420 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1 cheaper on MSRP at $79 vs $80, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2.9% (5.5 vs 5.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R5 M230 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 420 vs Radeon R5 M230 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 420

The GeForce GT 420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 432 points. Launch price was $89.

Radeon R5 M230

The Radeon R5 M230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 9 2015. It features the GCN architecture. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 425 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 420 scores 432 and the Radeon R5 M230 reaches 425 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 420 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R5 M230 uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 420) vs 1,024 (Radeon R5 M230).

Feature	GeForce GT 420	Radeon R5 M230
G3D Mark Score	432+2%	425
Architecture	Kepler	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1024+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 420 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 M230 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 420	Radeon R5 M230
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 420 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M230 carries 4 GB. Radeon R5 M230 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GT 420 and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M230.

Feature	GeForce GT 420	Radeon R5 M230
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 420 draws 64W versus the Radeon R5 M230's 75W — a 15.8% difference. The GeForce GT 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 420) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M230). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GT 420	Radeon R5 M230
TDP	64W-15%	75W
Recommended PSU	250W-29%	350W
Power Connector	None	Mobile
Length	145mm	—
Height	69mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	6.8+19%	5.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 420 came in at $79, while the Radeon R5 M230 launched at $80. On MSRP, GeForce GT 420 was 1.3% cheaper ($1 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GT 420) vs 5.3 (Radeon R5 M230) — the GeForce GT 420 offers 3.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 M230 (2015 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GT 420	Radeon R5 M230
MSRP	$79-1%	$80
Performance per Dollar	5.5+4%	5.3
Codename	GK107	Pitcairn
Release	May 29 2014	June 9 2015
Ranking	#777	#522

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