GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTS 250

2010Core: 783 MHz

Similar parts

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Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual

2013Core: 720 / 825 MHz

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GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTS 250

1 GB 106

569

+1.8%

GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual

0.5 GB 50

559

0.0%

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Radeon RX 7600M

Radeon RX 7600M XT

Radeon RX 6700 XT

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 GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual 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 250 vs Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual: 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 250

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $21 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Delivers 18.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 3.7 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual 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.
❌112% higher power demand at 106W vs 50W.
❌22800% longer card at 229mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual

2013

Why buy it

✅46.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 50W instead of 106W, a 56W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 229mm, a 228mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
16.3% HIGHER MSRP
$150 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.7 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 46.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTS 250 instead at 569 vs 559, 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 GTS 250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTS 250 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $21 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 18.4% (4.4 vs 3.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual

The Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 1 2013. The core clock speed is 720 / 825 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 559 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 250 scores 569 and the Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual reaches 559 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
G3D Mark Score	569+2%	559
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	640+233%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
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 GTS 250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual carries 512 MB. 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 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 250 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 250) vs 11_1 (Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	11_1
Max Displays	2	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP5 (GeForce GTS 250) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD 3.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP5	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250 draws 106W versus the Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual's 50W — a 71.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTS 250) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
TDP	106W	50W-53%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	229mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	5.4	11.2+107%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 250 came in at $129, while the Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual launched at $150. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 250 was 14% cheaper ($21 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 3.7 (Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual) — the GeForce GTS 250 offers 18.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550G + HD 8500M Dual
MSRP	$129-14%	$150
Performance per Dollar	4.4+19%	3.7
Codename	GF106	—
Release	September 13 2010	August 1 2013
Ranking	#791	#863

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