GeForce GT 520 vs Radeon R5 310

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 Radeon R5 310 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 Radeon R5 310: 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

✅36.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

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).
❌80% higher power demand at 90W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 310

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Delivers 23.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.8 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 90W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 520 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB 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 36.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 310 instead at 332 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: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 310 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $59, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 23.8% (6.8 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 310 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 Radeon R5 310 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.

Radeon R5 310

The Radeon R5 310 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 332 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 520 scores 323 and the Radeon R5 310 reaches 332 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 520 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R5 310 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 520) vs 384 (Radeon R5 310). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 310). Boost clocks: 1188 MHz vs 1024 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	Radeon R5 310
G3D Mark Score	323	332+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768+100%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.825 TFLOPS+132%	0.7864 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1188 MHz+16%	1024 MHz
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	48+100%	24
L1 Cache	288 KB+200%	96 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+669%	0.13 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 520 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 310 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	Radeon R5 310
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 520 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 310 carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 520 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 520 and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 310. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GT 520) vs 0.13 MB (Radeon R5 310) — the GeForce GT 520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	Radeon R5 310
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+669%	0.13 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520 draws 90W versus the Radeon R5 310's 50W — a 57.1% difference. The Radeon R5 310 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 520) vs 350W (Radeon R5 310). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GT 520	Radeon R5 310
TDP	90W	50W-44%
Recommended PSU	250W-29%	350W
Power Connector	None	PCIe-powered
Length	145mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	65°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.6	6.6+83%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520 came in at $59, while the Radeon R5 310 launched at $49. On MSRP, Radeon R5 310 was 16.9% cheaper ($10 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GT 520) vs 6.8 (Radeon R5 310) — the Radeon R5 310 offers 23.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 310 (2017 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GT 520	Radeon R5 310
MSRP	$59	$49-17%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	6.8+24%
Codename	GM206	Weston
Release	August 20 2015	April 18 2017
Ranking	#425	#873

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