GeForce GTS 160M vs Radeon RX Vega 3

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 GTS 160M vs Radeon RX Vega 3 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 GTS 160M vs Radeon RX Vega 3: 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 GTS 160M

2012

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon RX Vega 3 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTS 160M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega 3 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega 3

2019

Why buy it

✅40.9% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2019 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX Vega 3 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 40.9% in average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (684 vs 679), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTS 160M 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?

Radeon RX Vega 3 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon RX Vega 3 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTS 160M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTS 160M vs Radeon RX Vega 3 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 160M

The GeForce GTS 160M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 900 MHz to 950 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 679 points.

Radeon RX Vega 3

The Radeon RX Vega 3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2019. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1001 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 684 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 160M scores 679 and the Radeon RX Vega 3 reaches 684 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 160M is built on Kepler while the Radeon RX Vega 3 uses GCN 5.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 192 (Radeon RX Vega 3). Raw compute: 0.7296 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 0.3844 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 3). Boost clocks: 950 MHz vs 1001 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
G3D Mark Score	679	684
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 5.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384+100%	192
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7296 TFLOPS+90%	0.3844 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	950 MHz	1001 MHz+5%
ROPs	16+300%	4
TMUs	32+167%	12

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 160M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega 3 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTS 160M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega 3 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTS 160M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 160M and System on the Radeon RX Vega 3.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 3). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 (12_1)+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX Vega 3). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 160M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega 3).

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	VCE 3.4
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 160M draws 45W versus the Radeon RX Vega 3's 15W — a 100% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTS 160M) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 3). Power connectors: Legacy vs Integrated. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
TDP	45W	15W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	1W-100%
Power Connector	Legacy	Integrated
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	90°C	75-17%
Perf/Watt	15.1	45.6+202%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 3 (2019 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTS 160M	Radeon RX Vega 3
MSRP	—	$0
Codename	GK107	Picasso
Release	March 22 2012	January 6 2019
Ranking	#828	#845

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