GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

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

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 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 4060: 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 $239 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 115W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 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 65.4 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 3361.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1281.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 130% higher power demand at 115W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3361.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6783.1% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 284), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GT 520M is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 24 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 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $239 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1281.2% (65.4 vs 4.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520M scores 284 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 6783.1%. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score
284
19,548+6783%
Architecture
Kepler
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
384
3072+700%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7427 TFLOPS
15.11 TFLOPS+1934%
Boost Clock
967 MHz
2460 MHz+154%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
96+200%
L1 Cache
0.03 MB
3 MB+9900%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
24 MB+9500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GT 520M does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 520M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 520M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 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 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
272 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
24 MB+9500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: None vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
DirectX
11.0
12 Ultimate+9%
Vulkan
None
1.3
OpenGL
4.0
4.6+15%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520M) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). 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 (GeForce RTX 4060).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
Encoder
No
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520M draws 50W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 78.8% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 73°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
TDP
50W-57%
115W
Recommended PSU
350W-36%
550W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
0mm
240mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-4%
73°C
Perf/Watt
5.7
170.0+2882%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520M came in at $60, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520M was 79.9% cheaper ($239 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.7 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 1291.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060
MSRP
$60-80%
$299
Performance per Dollar
4.7
65.4+1291%
Codename
GK107
AD107
Release
January 9 2013
May 18 2023
Ranking
#792
#84

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