GeForce GT 720M vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP

CPU

GPU

GeForce GT 720M

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz

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Radeon HD 3850 AGP

2012Boost: 1000 MHz

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GeForce GT 720M vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP Performance Spectrum

GeForce GT 720M

2 GB 50

440

+1.9%

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

1 GB 130

432

0.0%

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 720M vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP 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 720M vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP: 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 720M

2013

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 130W, a 80W reduction.
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3850 AGP across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 2 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 3.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $130 MSRP).

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

2012

Why buy it

✅62.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($130 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌160% higher power demand at 130W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 3850 AGP is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 62.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 720M instead at 440 vs 432, 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 720M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 3850 AGP makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 3850 AGP is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 720M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 720M vs Radeon HD 3850 AGP Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 720M

The GeForce GT 720M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 440 points.

Radeon HD 3850 AGP

The Radeon HD 3850 AGP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 432 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 720M scores 440 and the Radeon HD 3850 AGP reaches 432 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 720M is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 3850 AGP uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 720M) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Raw compute: 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 720M) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Boost clocks: 967 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
G3D Mark Score	440+2%	432
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1024+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7427 TFLOPS	1.761 TFLOPS+137%
Boost Clock	967 MHz	1000 MHz+3%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	64+100%
L1 Cache	32 KB	256 KB+700%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 720M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3850 AGP leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
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 720M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 AGP carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 720M 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 720M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 AGP. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 720M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850 AGP) — the Radeon HD 3850 AGP has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
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	512 KB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 720M) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
DirectX	12 (11_0)+19%	10.1
Vulkan	1.2	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GT 720M) vs None (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP5) vs UVD 1.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GT 720M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850 AGP).

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
Encoder	None	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP5)	UVD 1.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 720M draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 3850 AGP's 130W — a 88.9% difference. The GeForce GT 720M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 720M) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850 AGP). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 230mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
TDP	50W-62%	130W
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	8-pin
Length	0mm	230mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80
Perf/Watt	8.8+167%	3.3

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 720M (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GT 720M	Radeon HD 3850 AGP
MSRP	—	$130
Codename	GK107	Pitcairn
Release	January 9 2013	March 5 2012
Ranking	#792	#503

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