GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce GTX 1650

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
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GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce GTX 1650 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 520M vs GeForce GTX 1650 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 520M vs GeForce GTX 1650: 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 520M

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $89 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1650 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 1 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 4.7 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • 1520.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1015.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
  • GeForce GT 520M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1650 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1650 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1520.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2670.8% in PassMark G3D (7,869 vs 284), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1650 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $89 more expensive on MSRP at $149 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1015.7% (52.8 vs 4.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce GTX 1650 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

The GeForce GT 520M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 284 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520M scores 284 versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 7,869 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 2670.8%. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTX 1650 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 896 (GeForce GTX 1650). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
G3D Mark Score
284
7,869+2671%
Architecture
Kepler
Turing
Process Node
28 nm
12 nm
Shading Units
384
896+133%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7427 TFLOPS
2.984 TFLOPS+302%
Boost Clock
967 MHz
1665 MHz+72%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
32
56+75%
L1 Cache
32 KB
896 KB+2700%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
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)

The GeForce GT 520M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1650 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1650 gives you 300% 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 520M and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
4 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
128 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
1 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1650). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
DirectX
11.0
12+9%
Vulkan
None
1.4
OpenGL
4.0
4.6+15%
Max Displays
1
3+200%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520M) vs NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 4th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
Encoder
No
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC 4th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520M draws 50W versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 75W — a 40% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 300W (GeForce GTX 1650). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 229mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 70°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
TDP
50W-33%
75W
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
None
Length
0mm
229mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
70°C
Perf/Watt
5.7
104.9+1740%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520M came in at $60, while the GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520M was 59.7% cheaper ($89 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.7 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 1023.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce GTX 1650
MSRP
$60-60%
$149
Performance per Dollar
4.7
52.8+1023%
Codename
GK107
TU117
Release
January 9 2013
April 23 2019
Ranking
#792
#323

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