GeForce GT 445M vs Radeon HD 3850 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 445M

2013Core: 549 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

2011Core: 800 MHz
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GeForce GT 445M vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 445M vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 445M vs Radeon HD 3850 X2: 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 445M

2013

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Draws 45W instead of 254W, a 209W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3850 X2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 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 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Radeon HD 3850 X2

2011

Why buy it

  • 77.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 464.4% higher power demand at 254W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 3850 X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 77.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (822 vs 811), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GT 445M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 HD 3850 X2 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 445M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 445M vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 445M

The GeForce GT 445M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 549 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 811 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 822 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 445M scores 811 and the Radeon HD 3850 X2 reaches 822 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 445M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 445M) vs 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Raw compute: 0.4216 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 445M) vs 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
G3D Mark Score
811
822+1%
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384
960 ×2+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.4216 TFLOPS
1.536 TFLOPS ×2+264%
ROPs
16
32 ×2+100%
TMUs
32
48 ×2+50%
L1 Cache
32 KB
192 KB+500%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 445M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3850 X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
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 445M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 445M gives you 50% 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 445M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 X2. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 445M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850 X2) — the Radeon HD 3850 X2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
VRAM Capacity
1.5 GB+50%
1 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 445M) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 X2). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
DirectX
12 (11_0)+19%
10.1
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo VP4 vs UVD+. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (GeForce GT 445M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
Encoder
CUDA
Decoder
PureVideo VP4
UVD+
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 445M draws 45W versus the Radeon HD 3850 X2's 254W — a 139.8% difference. The GeForce GT 445M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 445M) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 90°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
TDP
45W-82%
254W
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
267mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C-11%
90°C
Perf/Watt
18.0+463%
3.2
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 445M (2013 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GT 445MRadeon HD 3850 X2
MSRP
$349
Codename
GK107
Barts
Release
April 1 2013
September 19 2011
Ranking
#857
#630

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