GeForce GT 520MX vs Radeon HD 7450A

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 520MX vs Radeon HD 7450A 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 520MX vs Radeon HD 7450A: 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 520MX

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $35 less on MSRP ($45 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
✅Delivers 79.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.5 vs 3.6 G3D/$ ($45 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7450A 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.

Radeon HD 7450A

2012

Why buy it

✅26.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
77.8% HIGHER MSRP
$80 MSRPvs$45 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.6 vs 6.5 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $45 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7450A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 26.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 520MX instead at 291 vs 288, 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 520MX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 520MX makes the most sense to buy today. It is $35 cheaper on MSRP at $45 vs $80, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 79.6% (6.5 vs 3.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 7450A still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 520MX vs Radeon HD 7450A Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 520MX

The GeForce GT 520MX 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: 291 points.

Radeon HD 7450A

The Radeon HD 7450A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 288 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 520MX scores 291 and the Radeon HD 7450A reaches 288 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 520MX is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 7450A uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 1,792 (Radeon HD 7450A). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7450A). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1250 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon HD 7450A
G3D Mark Score	291+1%	288
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1792+367%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7427 TFLOPS	2.867 TFLOPS+286%
Boost Clock	967 MHz	1250 MHz+29%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	112+250%
L1 Cache	32 KB	448 KB+1300%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 520MX gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7450A leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon HD 7450A
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 520MX has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7450A carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 520MX 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 520MX and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7450A. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 7450A) — the Radeon HD 7450A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon HD 7450A
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	768 KB+200%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520MX draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 7450A's 200W — a 120% difference. The GeForce GT 520MX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7450A). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon HD 7450A
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	5.8+314%	1.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520MX came in at $45, while the Radeon HD 7450A launched at $80. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520MX was 43.8% cheaper ($35 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.5 (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 3.6 (Radeon HD 7450A) — the GeForce GT 520MX offers 80.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 520MX (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon HD 7450A
MSRP	$45-44%	$80
Performance per Dollar	6.5+81%	3.6
Codename	GK107	Tahiti
Release	January 9 2013	January 31 2012
Ranking	#792	#454

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