GeForce GT 520MX vs Radeon R3

CPU

GPU

GeForce GT 520MX

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz

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Radeon R3

2019Core: 1082 MHzBoost: 1218 MHz

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GeForce GT 520MX vs Radeon R3 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GT 520MX

1 GB 50

291

0.0%

GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU

Radeon R3

0.5 GB 50

314

+7.9%

Mobility Radeon HD 530v

Radeon HD 4650 AGP

Radeon HD4650

Radeon R5 235X

Radeon HD 7970M Crossfire

Radeon RX 6550M

Radeon RX 7600M XT

Radeon RX 6700 XT

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 520MX vs Radeon R3 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 R3: 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 $5 less on MSRP ($45 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R3 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 R3

2019

Why buy it

✅26.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅GeForce GT 520MX is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
11.1% HIGHER MSRP
$50 MSRPvs$45 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R3 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 26.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 7.9% in PassMark G3D (314 vs 291), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R3 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GT 520MX makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5 cheaper on MSRP at $45 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 3% (6.5 vs 6.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GT 520MX is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R3 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 520MX vs Radeon R3 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 R3

The Radeon R3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 314 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GT 520MX scores 291 versus the Radeon R3's 314 — the Radeon R3 leads by 7.9%. The GeForce GT 520MX is built on Kepler while the Radeon R3 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 512 (Radeon R3). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon R3). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1218 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
G3D Mark Score	291	314+8%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	512+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7427 TFLOPS	1.247 TFLOPS+68%
Boost Clock	967 MHz	1218 MHz+26%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	32 KB	128 KB+300%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 520MX gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R3 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
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 R3 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 64-bit on the Radeon R3. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 512 KB (Radeon R3) — the Radeon R3 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R3). Vulkan: None vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
DirectX	11.0	12 (12_0)+9%
Vulkan	None	1.2
OpenGL	4.0	4.6+15%
Max Displays	1	2+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 520MX) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 520MX) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R3).

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
Encoder	No	VCE 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 520MX draws 50W versus the Radeon R3's 50W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 350W (Radeon R3). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
TDP	50W	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	70°C	70°C
Perf/Watt	5.8	6.3+9%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 520MX came in at $45, while the Radeon R3 launched at $50. On MSRP, GeForce GT 520MX was 10% cheaper ($5 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.5 (GeForce GT 520MX) vs 6.3 (Radeon R3) — the GeForce GT 520MX offers 3.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R3 (2019 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce GT 520MX	Radeon R3
MSRP	$45-10%	$50
Performance per Dollar	6.5+3%	6.3
Codename	GK107	Polaris 23
Release	January 9 2013	May 13 2019
Ranking	#792	#757

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