GeForce GT 635 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 635

2010Core: 607 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

2011Core: 800 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GT 635 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 635 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 635 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2: 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 635

2010

Why buy it

  • 4.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $250 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Delivers 247.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.2 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
  • Draws 200W instead of 254W, a 54W reduction.
  • Measures 145mm instead of 267mm, a 122mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

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.

Radeon HD 3850 X2

2011

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • More future proof: TeraScale 2 (2009−2015) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 635 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 252.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $349 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • 27% higher power demand at 254W vs 200W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 635 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 3850 X2 instead at 822 vs 810, 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 635 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 635 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 247.4% (8.2 vs 2.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 635 vs Radeon HD 3850 X2 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 635

The GeForce GT 635 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 31 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 810 points. Launch price was $279.

AMD

Radeon HD 3850 X2

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 822 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 635 scores 810 and the Radeon HD 3850 X2 reaches 822 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 635 is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 352 (GeForce GT 635) vs 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Raw compute: 0.8554 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 635) vs 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
G3D Mark Score
810
822+1%
Architecture
Fermi
TeraScale 2
Process Node
40 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
352
960 ×2+173%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.8554 TFLOPS
1.536 TFLOPS ×2+80%
ROPs
32
32 ×2
TMUs
44
48 ×2+9%
L1 Cache
704 KB+267%
192 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 635 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3850 X2 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
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 635 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 3850 X2 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 635 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 X2.

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 635) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 X2). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
DirectX
12 (11_0)+19%
10.1
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD+. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 635) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2).

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
Encoder
NVENC (1st Gen)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
UVD+
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 635 draws 200W versus the Radeon HD 3850 X2's 254W — a 23.8% difference. The GeForce GT 635 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 200W (GeForce GT 635) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2). Power connectors: None vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 267mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 90°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
TDP
200W-21%
254W
Recommended PSU
200W-56%
450W
Power Connector
None
2x 6-pin
Length
145mm
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-17%
90°C
Perf/Watt
4.0+25%
3.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 635 came in at $99, while the Radeon HD 3850 X2 launched at $349. On MSRP, GeForce GT 635 was 71.6% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.2 (GeForce GT 635) vs 2.4 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) — the GeForce GT 635 offers 241.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 3850 X2 (2011 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GT 635Radeon HD 3850 X2
MSRP
$99-72%
$349
Performance per Dollar
8.2+242%
2.4
Codename
GF100
Barts
Release
May 31 2010
September 19 2011
Ranking
#618
#630

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