GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

NVIDIA

GeForce GTS 450

2010Core: 783 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
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GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U 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.
  • 606.7% higher power demand at 106W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

2020

Why buy it

  • 99.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 106W, a 91W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown 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 10.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 99.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (1,359 vs 1,337), so the answer here is pretty clean.
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 Unknown 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 today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,359 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 450 scores 1,337 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U reaches 1,359 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 450 is built on Fermi while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U uses Vega, both on 40 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 450) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U).

FeatureGeForce GTS 450Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
G3D Mark Score
1,337
1,359+2%
Architecture
Fermi
Vega
Process Node
40 nm
7 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTS 450Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U carries 0 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 System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U.

FeatureGeForce GTS 450Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 450 draws 106W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U's 15W — a 150.4% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTS 450) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce GTS 450Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
TDP
106W
15W-86%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Perf/Watt
12.6
90.6+619%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 450 came in at $129, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U was 100+% cheaper ($129 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.4 (GeForce GTS 450) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U) — the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U (2020 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTS 450Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3500U
MSRP
$129
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
10.4
Infinity
Codename
GF106
Vega
Release
September 13 2010
January 7 2020
Ranking
#791
#545

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