GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

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

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070: 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 $439 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 220W, a 170W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 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 44.4 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 4160.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 838.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 340% higher power demand at 220W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4160.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7707% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 284), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 46 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 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $439 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 838.7% (44.4 vs 4.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520M scores 284 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 7707%. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
284
22,172+7707%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
384
5888+1433%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7427 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+2635%
Boost Clock
967 MHz
1725 MHz+78%
ROPs
16
96+500%
TMUs
32
184+475%
L1 Cache
0.03 MB
5.8 MB+19233%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 520M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 700% 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 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
448 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
11.0
12 Ultimate+9%
Vulkan
None
1.4
OpenGL
4.0
4.6+15%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520M) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
No
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520M draws 50W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 125.9% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
TDP
50W-77%
220W
Recommended PSU
350W-46%
650W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
242mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-7%
75°C
Perf/Watt
5.7
100.8+1668%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520M came in at $60, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520M was 88% cheaper ($439 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.7 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 844.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$60-88%
$499
Performance per Dollar
4.7
44.4+845%
Codename
GK107
GA104
Release
January 9 2013
September 1 2020
Ranking
#792
#63

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