GeForce GT 420M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 420M

2012Core: Up to 625 MHzBoost: 645 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 420M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 420M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 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 420M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti: 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 420M

2012

Why buy it

  • Draws 32W instead of 160W, a 128W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB 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 56.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

  • 3241.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 1500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 400% higher power demand at 160W vs 32W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3241.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5678.3% in PassMark G3D (22,651 vs 392), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GT 420M is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 34 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GT 420M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,651 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 420M scores 392 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 22,651 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti leads by 5678.3%. The GeForce GT 420M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Raw compute: 0.48 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 420M) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Boost clocks: 645 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
392
22,651+5678%
Architecture
Kepler
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
384
4352+1033%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.48 TFLOPS
22.06 TFLOPS+4496%
Boost Clock
645 MHz
2535 MHz+293%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
136+325%
L1 Cache
0.03 MB
4.3 MB+14233%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
32 MB+12700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GT 420M does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 420M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 420M has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti gives you 1500% 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 420M and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 420M) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
8 GB+1500%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
288 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
32 MB+12700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 420M) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
DirectX
11.0
12.2+11%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
4.0
4.6+15%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 420M) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 420M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti).

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
Encoder
No
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 420M draws 32W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti's 160W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce GT 420M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 420M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
TDP
32W-80%
160W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
240mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
70°C-7%
Perf/Watt
12.3
141.6+1051%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (2023 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GT 420MGeForce RTX 4060 Ti
MSRP
$399
Codename
GK107
AD106
Release
March 22 2012
May 18 2023
Ranking
#909
#59

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