GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

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

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 160W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 3955.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 4.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • 220% higher power demand at 160W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3955.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6026.8% in PassMark G3D (17,400 vs 284), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 34 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 GT 520M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 520M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 520M vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520M scores 284 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 17,400 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 6026.8%. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
284
17,400+6027%
Architecture
Kepler
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
384
4352+1033%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7427 TFLOPS
22.06 TFLOPS+2870%
Boost Clock
967 MHz
2535 MHz+162%
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
136+325%
L1 Cache
0.03 MB
4.3 MB+14233%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
32 MB+12700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GT 520M is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
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 Laptop GPU carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU 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 Laptop GPU. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
256 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
32 MB+12700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: None vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
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 (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). 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,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
No
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520M draws 50W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 160W — a 104.8% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
TDP
50W-69%
160W
Recommended PSU
350W-46%
650W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
70°C-13%
80°C
Perf/Watt
5.7
108.8+1809%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
MSRP
$60
Codename
GK107
AD106
Release
January 9 2013
May 18 2023
Ranking
#792
#59

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