GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon R7E

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 R7E 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 R7E: 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

✅10.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌92.7% higher power demand at 106W vs 55W.
❌22800% longer card at 229mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R7E

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 106W, a 51W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 229mm, a 228mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTS 250 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 4.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTS 250 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 10.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (569 vs 565), 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?

GeForce GTS 250 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon R7E 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 R7E

The Radeon R7E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 20 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 565 points. Launch price was $109.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 250 scores 569 and the Radeon R7E reaches 565 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 250 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R7E uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 512 (Radeon R7E). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250) vs 0.8192 TFLOPS (Radeon R7E).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
G3D Mark Score	569	565
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	512+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS	0.8192 TFLOPS+36%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	256 KB+100%	128 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R7E leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
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 R7E 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 64-bit on the Radeon R7E.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTS 250) vs 12_0 (Radeon R7E). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12_0+8%
Max Displays	2	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP5 (GeForce GTS 250) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7E). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP5	VCE 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250 draws 106W versus the Radeon R7E's 55W — a 63.4% difference. The Radeon R7E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTS 250) vs 350W (Radeon R7E). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 229mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
TDP	106W	55W-48%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Length	229mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	5.4	10.3+91%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 250 came in at $129, while the Radeon R7E launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon R7E was 100+% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) vs Infinity (Radeon R7E) — the Radeon R7E offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7E (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon R7E
MSRP	$129	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	4.4	Infinity
Codename	GF106	Cape Verde
Release	September 13 2010	December 20 2013
Ranking	#791	#738

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