GeForce GT 720A vs GeForce GTS 250

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 720A

2014Core: 628 MHzBoost: 657 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 250

2010Core: 783 MHz
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GeForce GT 720A vs GeForce GTS 250 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 720A vs GeForce GTS 250 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 720A vs GeForce GTS 250: 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 720A

2014

Why buy it

  • 20.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $89 less on MSRP ($40 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • Delivers 221.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.2 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($40 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • Draws 55W instead of 106W, a 51W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTS 250

2010

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 720A across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 222.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $129 MSRPvs$40 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.4 vs 14.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $40 MSRP).
  • 92.7% higher power demand at 106W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GT 720A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 20.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTS 250 instead at 569 vs 567, 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 720A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2014 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 720A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $89 cheaper on MSRP at $40 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 221.4% (14.2 vs 4.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GT 720A vs GeForce GTS 250 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 720A

The GeForce GT 720A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 17 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 628 MHz to 657 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 567 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 250

The GeForce GTS 250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 569 points. Launch price was $129.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 720A scores 567 and the GeForce GTS 250 reaches 569 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 720A is built on Kepler while the GeForce GTS 250 uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 720A) vs 192 (GeForce GTS 250). Raw compute: 1.009 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 720A) vs 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250).

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
G3D Mark Score
567
569
Architecture
Kepler
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
768+300%
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.009 TFLOPS+68%
0.6013 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
64+100%
32
L1 Cache
64 KB
256 KB+300%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 720A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTS 250 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTS 250 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 720A and 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 250.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
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: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 720A) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 250). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
DirectX
12 (11_0)+8%
11.1 (10_0)
OpenGL
4.6+39%
3.3
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No NVENC (GeForce GT 720A) vs PureVideo HD VP5 (GeForce GTS 250). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs PureVideo HD VP5. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 720A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 250).

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
Encoder
No NVENC
PureVideo HD VP5
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP5
PureVideo HD VP5
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 720A draws 55W versus the GeForce GTS 250's 106W — a 63.4% difference. The GeForce GT 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 720A) vs 450W (GeForce GTS 250). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 90°C.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
TDP
55W-48%
106W
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
229mm
Height
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-17%
90°C
Perf/Watt
10.3+91%
5.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 720A came in at $40, while the GeForce GTS 250 launched at $129. On MSRP, GeForce GT 720A was 69% cheaper ($89 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 14.2 (GeForce GT 720A) vs 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) — the GeForce GT 720A offers 222.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 720A (2014 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GT 720AGeForce GTS 250
MSRP
$40-69%
$129
Performance per Dollar
14.2+223%
4.4
Codename
GK106
GF106
Release
March 17 2014
September 13 2010
Ranking
#813
#791

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