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 520 vs GeForce GT 610 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 520 vs GeForce GT 610: 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 520

2015

Why buy it

✅39.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
20.4% HIGHER MSRP
$59 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 6.8 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).
❌38.5% higher power demand at 90W vs 65W.

GeForce GT 610

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Delivers 23.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.8 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 90W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 520 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 520 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 39.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 610 instead at 331 vs 323, 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 520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 610 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $59, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 23.4% (6.8 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 610 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 520 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 520 vs GeForce GT 610 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 520

The GeForce GT 520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 323 points. Launch price was $159.

GeForce GT 610

The GeForce GT 610 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 5 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 902 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 331 points. Launch price was $99.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 520 scores 323 and the GeForce GT 610 reaches 331 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 520 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GT 610 uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 520) vs 384 (GeForce GT 610). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520) vs 0.6927 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 610).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
G3D Mark Score	323	331+2%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768+100%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.825 TFLOPS+163%	0.6927 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	48+50%	32
L1 Cache	288 KB+800%	32 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 520 and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 610. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GT 520) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 610) — the GeForce GT 520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 610). Vulkan: None vs None. OpenGL: 4.1 vs 4.2. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
DirectX	11.0	11.0
Vulkan	None	None
OpenGL	4.1	4.2+2%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520) vs No (GeForce GT 610). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 610).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
Encoder	No	No
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520 draws 90W versus the GeForce GT 610's 65W — a 32.3% difference. The GeForce GT 610 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 520) vs 300W (GeForce GT 610). Power connectors: None vs None. Card length: 145mm vs 145mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 65°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
TDP	90W	65W-28%
Recommended PSU	250W-17%	300W
Power Connector	None	None
Length	145mm	145mm
Height	111mm	69mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	65°C	65°C
Perf/Watt	3.6	5.1+42%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520 came in at $59, while the GeForce GT 610 launched at $49. On MSRP, GeForce GT 610 was 16.9% cheaper ($10 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GT 520) vs 6.8 (GeForce GT 610) — the GeForce GT 610 offers 23.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 520 (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	GeForce GT 610
MSRP	$59	$49-17%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	6.8+24%
Codename	GM206	GK107
Release	August 20 2015	June 5 2012
Ranking	#425	#837

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