GeForce GT 720 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 720

2014Core: 993 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 2900 XT

2013Core: 725 MHz
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GeForce GT 720 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT 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 720 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT 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 720 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT: 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 720

2014

Why buy it

  • 1.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $350 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Delivers 713.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.4 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
  • Measures 145mm instead of 241mm, a 96mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 156% higher power demand at 64W vs 25W.

Radeon HD 2900 XT

2013

Why buy it

  • Draws 25W instead of 64W, a 39W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 720 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 714.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $399 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 13.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 720 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 2900 XT instead at 660 vs 659, 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 720 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 720 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $350 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 713.1% (13.4 vs 1.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 720 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 720

The GeForce GT 720 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 659 points. Launch price was $89.

AMD

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 720 scores 659 and the Radeon HD 2900 XT reaches 660 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 720 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 2900 XT uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 720) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Raw compute: 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 720) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 XT).

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
G3D Mark Score
659
660
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384
480+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7626 TFLOPS+10%
0.696 TFLOPS
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
32+33%
24
L1 Cache
32 KB
48 KB+50%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 720 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 2900 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
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 720 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 720 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GT 720 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2900 XT.

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon 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
256 KB
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce GT 720) vs 10.0 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
DirectX
11.0+10%
10.0
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1.0 (GeForce GT 720) vs UVD+ (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD+. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 720) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 2900 XT).

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
Encoder
NVENC 1.0
UVD+
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
UVD+
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 720 draws 64W versus the Radeon HD 2900 XT's 25W — a 87.6% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (GeForce GT 720) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 145mm vs 241mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
TDP
64W
25W-61%
Recommended PSU
250W-29%
350W
Power Connector
None
1x 6-pin
Length
145mm
241mm
Height
69mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
55°C
Perf/Watt
10.3
26.4+156%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 720 came in at $49, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce GT 720 was 87.7% cheaper ($350 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.4 (GeForce GT 720) vs 1.7 (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the GeForce GT 720 offers 688.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 720 (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 720Radeon HD 2900 XT
MSRP
$49-88%
$399
Performance per Dollar
13.4+688%
1.7
Codename
GK107
Thames
Release
May 29 2014
January 7 2013
Ranking
#777
#883

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