GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon R5 420

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 R5 420 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 R5 420: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 420 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.
❌
61.3% HIGHER MSRP
$129 MSRPvs$80 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.4 vs 7.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
❌112% higher power demand at 106W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 420

2017

Why buy it

✅13.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.2 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 106W, a 56W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB 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 R5 420 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.1% in PassMark G3D (575 vs 569), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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?

Radeon R5 420 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $49 cheaper on MSRP at $80 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 63% (7.2 vs 4.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 420 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTS 250 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon R5 420 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 R5 420

The Radeon R5 420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 250 scores 569 and the Radeon R5 420 reaches 575 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 250 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R5 420 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 384 (Radeon R5 420). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 420).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R5 420
G3D Mark Score	569	575+1%
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	192	384+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS	0.9085 TFLOPS+51%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32+33%	24
L1 Cache	256 KB+167%	96 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 420 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R5 420
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 250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 420 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 R5 420. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 250) vs 512 KB (Radeon R5 420) — the Radeon R5 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R5 420
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250 draws 106W versus the Radeon R5 420's 50W — a 71.8% difference. The Radeon R5 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTS 250) vs 350W (Radeon R5 420). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R5 420
TDP	106W	50W-53%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Length	229mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	5.4	11.5+113%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 250 came in at $129, while the Radeon R5 420 launched at $80. On MSRP, Radeon R5 420 was 38% cheaper ($49 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 7.2 (Radeon R5 420) — the Radeon R5 420 offers 63.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 420 (2017 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R5 420
MSRP	$129	$80-38%
Performance per Dollar	4.4	7.2+64%
Codename	GF106	Lexa
Release	September 13 2010	April 20 2017
Ranking	#791	#773

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