GeForce GT 520M vs Radeon HD 8330

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8330

2010Core: 800 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GT 520M vs Radeon HD 8330 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 Radeon HD 8330 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 8330: 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 175W, a 125W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8330 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.
  • 20% HIGHER MSRP
    $60 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.7 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8330

2010

Why buy it

  • 33.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $10 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • Delivers 16.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 4.7 G3D/$ ($50 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.
  • 250% higher power demand at 175W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8330 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 33.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 520M instead at 284 vs 275, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
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 8330 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 16.2% (5.5 vs 4.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8330 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 8330 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.

AMD

Radeon HD 8330

The Radeon HD 8330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 25 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 275 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 520M scores 284 and the Radeon HD 8330 reaches 275 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 520M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 8330 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 1,120 (Radeon HD 8330). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M) vs 1.792 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8330).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MRadeon HD 8330
G3D Mark Score
284+3%
275
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384
1120+192%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7427 TFLOPS
1.792 TFLOPS+141%
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
32
56+75%
L1 Cache
32 KB
112 KB+250%
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 8330 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MRadeon HD 8330
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 8330 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 8330. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 520M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8330) — the Radeon HD 8330 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MRadeon HD 8330
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 8330's 175W — a 111.1% difference. The GeForce GT 520M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8330). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GT 520MRadeon HD 8330
TDP
50W-71%
175W
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+256%
1.6
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520M came in at $60, while the Radeon HD 8330 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8330 was 16.7% cheaper ($10 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.7 (GeForce GT 520M) vs 5.5 (Radeon HD 8330) — the Radeon HD 8330 offers 17% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 520M (2013 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GT 520MRadeon HD 8330
MSRP
$60
$50-17%
Performance per Dollar
4.7
5.5+17%
Codename
GK107
Cypress
Release
January 9 2013
February 25 2010
Ranking
#792
#724

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.