GeForce GT 420M vs GeForce GTX 260M

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GT 420M is positioned at rank 113 and the GeForce GTX 260M is on rank 134, so the GeForce GT 420M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 420M

#103

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

277%

#105

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

251%

#106

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

250%

#110

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

228%

#111

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

226%

#113

GeForce GT 420M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#114

Radeon RX 470 (móvel)

MSRP: $179|Avg: $40

100%

#116

GeForce GTX 880M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

98%

#117

GeForce MX570

MSRP: $150|Avg: $120

98%

#118

Radeon RX 6500

MSRP: $199|Avg: $150

98%

#119

GeForce 825M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

97%

#121

Radeon HD 6970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $48

97%

#123

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

96%

#126

GeForce GT 550M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 260M

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

760%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

730%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

721%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

720%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

719%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

714%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

705%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

703%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

696%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

694%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

686%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

685%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

672%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

672%

#85

Radeon Ryzen 7 6800U

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

98%

#86

Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U

MSRP: $350|Avg: $350

96%

#119

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

838%

#134

GeForce GTX 260M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#135

Radeon R5 240

MSRP: $59|Avg: $10

99%

#136

Radeon HD 8570

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

99%

#137

Radeon R5 340

MSRP: $99|Avg: $25

99%

#139

GeForce GT 730

MSRP: $89|Avg: $45

97%

#140

Radeon HD 8400E

MSRP: $30|Avg: $5

96%

#142

Radeon HD 8400

MSRP: $30|Avg: $5

95%

#143

Radeon HD 5750

MSRP: $130|Avg: $25

94%

#145

Radeon HD 8330E

MSRP: $30|Avg: $5

91%

#146

Radeon HD 8670D

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

90%

#147

Radeon R7 A370

MSRP: $149|Avg: $51

90%

#148

Radeon HD 5770

MSRP: $159|Avg: $159

89%

#149

Radeon HD 4770

MSRP: $109|Avg: $109

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GT 420M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 260M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GT 420M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GT 420M Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 260M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GT 420M and GeForce GTX 260M

GeForce GT 420M

The GeForce GT 420M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 625 MHz to 645 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 32W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 392 points.

GeForce GTX 260M

The GeForce GTX 260M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 382 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 420M scores 392 and the GeForce GTX 260M reaches 382 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 420M is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 260M uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 260M). Raw compute: 0.48 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 420M) vs 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260M).

Feature	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
G3D Mark Score	392+3%	382
Architecture	Kepler	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+100%	192
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.48 TFLOPS	0.4769 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	28+75%
TMUs	32	64+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB+14%	224 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 420M comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 260M has 1 GB. The GeForce GTX 260M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 420M) vs 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260M) — the GeForce GT 420M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB+14%	224 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 260M). OpenGL: 4.0 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
DirectX	11.0	11.1 (10_0)
OpenGL	4.0+21%	3.3
Max Displays	1	2+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 420M) vs PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 260M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 420M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 260M).

Feature	GeForce GT 420M	GeForce GTX 260M
Encoder	No	PureVideo HD VP2
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	PureVideo HD VP2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 420M draws 32W versus the GeForce GTX 260M's 182W — a 140.2% difference. The GeForce GT 420M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 420M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 260M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.