GeForce GTS 250M vs Radeon HD 8690A

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 250M vs Radeon HD 8690A 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 250M vs Radeon HD 8690A: 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 250M

2010

Why buy it

✅22.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌112% higher power demand at 106W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8690A

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 106W, a 56W reduction.
✅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 250M 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTS 250M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (520 vs 514), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTS 250M 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 HD 8690A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8690A is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTS 250M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTS 250M vs Radeon HD 8690A Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 250M

The GeForce GTS 250M 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: 520 points. Launch price was $129.

Radeon HD 8690A

The Radeon HD 8690A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 775 MHz to 825 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 514 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 250M scores 520 and the Radeon HD 8690A reaches 514 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 250M is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 8690A uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 320 (Radeon HD 8690A). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 0.528 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8690A).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
G3D Mark Score	520+1%	514
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	320+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS+14%	0.528 TFLOPS
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	32+60%	20
L1 Cache	256 KB+220%	80 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB+100%	128 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8690A leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
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 250M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8690A carries 512 MB. GeForce GTS 250M 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 250M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8690A. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 128 KB (Radeon HD 8690A) — the GeForce GTS 250M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
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+100%	128 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_1) (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 11_1 (Radeon HD 8690A). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
DirectX	11.1 (10_1)	11_1
Max Displays	2	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTS 250M) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 8690A). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 3.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250M draws 106W versus the Radeon HD 8690A's 50W — a 71.8% difference. The Radeon HD 8690A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8690A). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
TDP	106W	50W-53%
Recommended PSU	300W-14%	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	4.9	10.3+110%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 8690A (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	Radeon HD 8690A
MSRP	—	$150
Codename	GF106	Sun
Release	September 13 2010	March 1 2013
Ranking	#791	#891

Search GeForce GTS 250M on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 8690A on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.