GeForce GT 520M vs Radeon HD 6520G

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 Radeon HD 6520G 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 Radeon HD 6520G: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6520G across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
50% HIGHER MSRP
$60 MSRPvs$40 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.7 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $40 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6520G

2010

Why buy it

✅62.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($40 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
✅Delivers 58.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($40 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6520G is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 62.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.6% in PassMark G3D (300 vs 284), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GT 520M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6520G makes the most sense to buy today. It is $20 cheaper on MSRP at $40 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 58.5% (7.5 vs 4.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6520G is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 520M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 520M vs Radeon HD 6520G Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon HD 6520G

The Radeon HD 6520G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 300 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520M scores 284 versus the Radeon HD 6520G's 300 — the Radeon HD 6520G leads by 5.6%. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 6520G uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6520G). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6520G). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 800 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 520M	Radeon HD 6520G
G3D Mark Score	284	300+6%
Architecture	Kepler	TeraScale 3
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	1408+267%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7427 TFLOPS	2.253 TFLOPS+203%
Boost Clock	967 MHz+21%	800 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	88+175%
L1 Cache	32 KB	352 KB+1000%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 520M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6520G leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 520M	Radeon HD 6520G
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 520M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6520G carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 520M gives you 100% 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 Radeon HD 6520G. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 6520G) — the Radeon HD 6520G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520M	Radeon HD 6520G
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520M draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 6520G's 200W — a 120% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6520G). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GT 520M	Radeon HD 6520G
TDP	50W-75%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	70°C	—
Perf/Watt	5.7+280%	1.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520M came in at $60, while the Radeon HD 6520G launched at $40. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6520G was 33.3% cheaper ($20 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.7 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 7.5 (Radeon HD 6520G) — the Radeon HD 6520G offers 59.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 520M (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GT 520M	Radeon HD 6520G
MSRP	$60	$40-33%
Performance per Dollar	4.7	7.5+60%
Codename	GK107	Cayman
Release	January 9 2013	December 14 2010
Ranking	#792	#623

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