GeForce GT 530 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT
GeForce GT 530
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Radeon HD 2900 XT
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GT 530 is positioned at rank 189 and the Radeon HD 2900 XT is on rank 666, so the GeForce GT 530 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 530
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 2900 XT
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GT 530 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.3% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (2 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 2900 XT.
| Insight | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.3%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce GT 530 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GT 530 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $20), it costs 0% less, resulting in a 0.3% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+0.3%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GT 530 and Radeon HD 2900 XT
GeForce GT 530
The GeForce GT 530 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 662 points. Launch price was $159.
Radeon HD 2900 XT
The Radeon HD 2900 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 660 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GT 530 scores 662 and the Radeon HD 2900 XT reaches 660 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 530 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 2900 XT uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 530) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Raw compute: 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 530) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 XT).
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 662 | 660 |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 768+60% | 480 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.825 TFLOPS+162% | 0.696 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 48+100% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 288 KB+500% | 48 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 0.25 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GT 530 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT has 1 GB. The GeForce GT 530 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GT 530) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the GeForce GT 530 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB+100% | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 0.25 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 530) vs 10.0 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0)+20% | 10.0 |
| Max Displays | 4+100% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: No NVENC (Fermi) (GeForce GT 530) vs UVD+ (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD+. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 530) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 2900 XT).
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | No NVENC (Fermi) | UVD+ |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP4 | UVD+ |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GT 530 draws 90W versus the Radeon HD 2900 XT's 25W — a 113% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 530) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 241mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 90W | 25W-72% |
| Recommended PSU | 250W-29% | 350W |
| Power Connector | None | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 145mm | 241mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 1-50% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 70°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 7.4 | 26.4+257% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GT 530 launched at $100 MSRP and currently averages $20, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT launched at $399 and now averages $20. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 33.1 (GeForce GT 530) vs 33.0 (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the GeForce GT 530 offers 0.3% better value. The GeForce GT 530 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce GT 530 | Radeon HD 2900 XT |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $100-75% | $399 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20 | $20 |
| Performance per Dollar | 33.1 | 33.0 |
| Codename | GM206 | Thames |
| Release | August 20 2015 | January 7 2013 |
| Ranking | #425 | #883 |
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