GeForce GTS 360M vs Radeon R5 M430

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 360M vs Radeon R5 M430 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 360M vs Radeon R5 M430: 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 360M

2012

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 75W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 M430 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 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 6.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Radeon R5 M430

2016

Why buy it

✅2.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 75W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R5 M430 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (649 vs 641), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTS 360M 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 M430 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 R5 M430 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTS 360M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTS 360M vs Radeon R5 M430 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 360M

The GeForce GTS 360M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from Up to 900 MHz to 950 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 641 points.

Radeon R5 M430

The Radeon R5 M430 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 780 MHz to 1030 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 649 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 360M scores 641 and the Radeon R5 M430 reaches 649 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 360M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R5 M430 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTS 360M) vs 320 (Radeon R5 M430). Raw compute: 0.7296 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 360M) vs 0.6592 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M430). Boost clocks: 950 MHz vs 1030 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
G3D Mark Score	641	649+1%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384+20%	320
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7296 TFLOPS+11%	0.6592 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	950 MHz	1030 MHz+8%
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	32+60%	20
L1 Cache	32 KB	80 KB+150%
L2 Cache	256 KB+100%	128 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 360M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 M430 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
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 360M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M430 carries 512 MB. GeForce GTS 360M 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 360M and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M430. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 360M) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 M430) — the GeForce GTS 360M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
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

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_1) (GeForce GTS 360M) vs 11_1 (Radeon R5 M430). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
DirectX	11.1 (10_1)	11_1
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTS 360M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon R5 M430).

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	—
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,H.265/HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 360M draws 45W versus the Radeon R5 M430's 75W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GTS 360M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTS 360M) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M430). Power connectors: Legacy vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
TDP	45W-40%	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Mobile
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	90°C	80°C-11%
Perf/Watt	14.2+63%	8.7

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R5 M430 (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTS 360M	Radeon R5 M430
MSRP	—	$99
Codename	GK107	Jet
Release	March 22 2012	May 15 2016
Ranking	#828	#922

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