GeForce GTS 250M vs RADEON HD6530D

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 HD6530D 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 HD6530D: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 106W instead of 186W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RADEON HD6530D 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 10.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

RADEON HD6530D

2011

Why buy it

✅48.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌75.5% higher power demand at 186W vs 106W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RADEON HD6530D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 48.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.3% in PassMark G3D (532 vs 520), 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 HD6530D 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 HD6530D 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 HD6530D 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 HD6530D

The RADEON HD6530D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2011. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The core clock speed is 750 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 186W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 532 points. Launch price was $180.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 250M scores 520 and the RADEON HD6530D reaches 532 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 250M is built on Fermi while the RADEON HD6530D uses TeraScale 3, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 1,280 (RADEON HD6530D). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 1.92 TFLOPS (RADEON HD6530D).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
G3D Mark Score	520	532+2%
Architecture	Fermi	TeraScale 3
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	192	1280+567%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS	1.92 TFLOPS+219%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	80+150%
L1 Cache	256 KB	320 KB+25%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The RADEON HD6530D leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
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 250M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the RADEON HD6530D 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 HD6530D. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 512 KB (RADEON HD6530D) — the RADEON HD6530D has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
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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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_1) (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 11.2 (RADEON HD6530D). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
DirectX	11.1 (10_1)	11.2
Max Displays	2	0

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTS 250M) vs UVD 3.0 (RADEON HD6530D). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 3.0.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 3.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	—

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 250M draws 106W versus the RADEON HD6530D's 186W — a 54.8% difference. The GeForce GTS 250M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTS 250M) vs 350W (RADEON HD6530D). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
TDP	106W-43%	186W
Recommended PSU	300W-14%	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	4.9+69%	2.9

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is RADEON HD6530D (2011 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250M	RADEON HD6530D
MSRP	—	$50
Codename	GF106	Cayman
Release	September 13 2010	December 1 2011
Ranking	#791	#598

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