GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 740

2014Core: 993 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
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GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 740 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C 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 740 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C: 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 740

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $10 less on MSRP ($89 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • Delivers 12.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.1 vs 14.2 G3D/$ ($89 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2014 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 326.7% higher power demand at 64W vs 15W.
  • 14400% longer card at 145mm vs 1mm.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

2020

Why buy it

  • 141.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 64W, a 49W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 145mm, a 144mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 11.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $99 MSRPvs$89 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.2 vs 16.1 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $89 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 141.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 740 instead at 1,429 vs 1,410, 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 740 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 740 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $89 vs $99, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 12.7% (16.1 vs 14.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 740 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 740

The GeForce GT 740 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: 1,429 points. Launch price was $89.

AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,410 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 740 scores 1,429 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C reaches 1,410 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 740 is built on Kepler while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C uses Vega, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 740) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C).

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
G3D Mark Score
1,429+1%
1,410
Architecture
Kepler
Vega
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
384
512+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 740 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
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 740 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C carries 0 MB. GeForce GT 740 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 740 and System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C.

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
64-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GT 740) vs 12_1 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12_1
Max Displays
3
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GT 740) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Decoder: VP5 vs VCN 1.0.

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
VCN 1.0
Decoder
VP5
VCN 1.0
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 740 draws 64W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C's 15W — a 124.1% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 740) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C). Power connectors: None vs Integrated. Card length: 145mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
TDP
64W
15W-77%
Recommended PSU
300W
1W-100%
Power Connector
None
Integrated
Length
145mm
1mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
Perf/Watt
22.3
94.0+322%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 740 came in at $89, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C launched at $99. On MSRP, GeForce GT 740 was 10.1% cheaper ($10 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.1 (GeForce GT 740) vs 14.2 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C) — the GeForce GT 740 offers 13.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C (2020 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GT 740Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500C
MSRP
$89-10%
$99
Performance per Dollar
16.1+13%
14.2
Codename
GK107
Vega
Release
May 29 2014
January 7 2020
Ranking
#777
#545

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