GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

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 450 vs Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) 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 450 vs Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop): 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 450

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $44 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $173 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.4 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $173 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) 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.
❌253.3% higher power demand at 106W vs 30W.

Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

2014

Why buy it

✅80.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 30W instead of 106W, a 76W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN (2012−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
34.1% HIGHER MSRP
$173 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 10.4 G3D/$ ($173 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 80.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTS 450 instead at 1,337 vs 1,300, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTS 450 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 450 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $44 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $173, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 37.9% (10.4 vs 7.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 450

The GeForce GTS 450 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: 1,337 points. Launch price was $129.

Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

The Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 14 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,300 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 450 scores 1,337 and the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) reaches 1,300 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 450 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) uses GCN, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 450) vs 512 (Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
G3D Mark Score	1,337+3%	1,300
Architecture	Fermi	GCN
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	512+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 450 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
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 450 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) carries 512 MB. GeForce GTS 450 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 450 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTS 450) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
Encoder	—	VCE 2.0
Decoder	—	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 450 draws 106W versus the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)'s 30W — a 111.8% difference. The Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTS 450) vs 350W (Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
TDP	106W	30W-72%
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	12.6	43.3+244%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 450 came in at $129, while the Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) launched at $173. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 450 was 25.4% cheaper ($44 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.4 (GeForce GTS 450) vs 7.5 (Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) — the GeForce GTS 450 offers 38.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) (2014 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450	Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)
MSRP	$129-25%	$173
Performance per Dollar	10.4+39%	7.5
Codename	GF106	Kaveri Spectre
Release	September 13 2010	January 14 2014
Ranking	#791	#830

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