GeForce GT 720A vs Quadro 500M

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 720A

2014Core: 628 MHzBoost: 657 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro 500M

2010Core: 405 MHz

GeForce GT 720A vs Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($40 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 55W instead of 100W, a 45W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro 500M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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.

Quadro 500M

2010

Why buy it

  • 16.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 14.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $40 MSRP).
  • 81.8% higher power demand at 100W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro 500M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (571 vs 567), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Quadro 500M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 720A vs Quadro 500M 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

Quadro 500M

The Quadro 500M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 27 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 405 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 571 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 720A scores 567 and the Quadro 500M reaches 571 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 720A is built on Kepler while the Quadro 500M uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 768 (GeForce GT 720A) vs 320 (Quadro 500M). Raw compute: 1.009 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 720A) vs 0.5184 TFLOPS (Quadro 500M).

FeatureGeForce GT 720AQuadro 500M
G3D Mark Score
567
571
Architecture
Kepler
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
768+140%
320
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.009 TFLOPS+95%
0.5184 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
64+60%
40
L1 Cache
64 KB
640 KB+900%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 720A gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro 500M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AQuadro 500M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 720A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Quadro 500M carries 1 GB. Quadro 500M 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 64-bit on the Quadro 500M. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 720A) vs 512 KB (Quadro 500M) — the Quadro 500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AQuadro 500M
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 720A draws 55W versus the Quadro 500M's 100W — a 58.1% difference. The GeForce GT 720A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 720A) vs 350W (Quadro 500M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GT 720AQuadro 500M
TDP
55W-45%
100W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
10.3+81%
5.7
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 720A (2014 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GT 720AQuadro 500M
MSRP
$40
Codename
GK106
GF100
Release
March 17 2014
July 27 2010
Ranking
#813
#675

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