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 GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce GTX 1650 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 GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce GTX 1650: 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 GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

✅57.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 52.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so GeForce GTX 1650 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 57.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 47% in PassMark G3D (11,566 vs 7,869), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 1650 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 16nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2017. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 1650 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs GeForce GTX 1650 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design scores 11,566 versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 7,869 — the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design leads by 47%. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the GeForce GTX 1650 uses Turing, both on 16 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 896 (GeForce GTX 1650). Raw compute: 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
G3D Mark Score	11,566+47%	7,869
Architecture	Pascal	Turing
Process Node	16 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+186%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.516 TFLOPS+152%	2.984 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1468 MHz	1665 MHz+13%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+186%	56
L1 Cache	960 KB+7%	896 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1650 carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5X	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s+100%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1650). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
DirectX	12.1	12
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+33%	3

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 4th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
Encoder	NVENC 4.0	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 4th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design draws 150W versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 300W (GeForce GTX 1650). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 229mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
TDP	150W	75W-50%
Recommended PSU	500W	300W-40%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Length	0mm	229mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70°C-13%
Perf/Watt	77.1	104.9+36%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2017).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design	GeForce GTX 1650
MSRP	—	$149
Codename	GP104	TU117
Release	June 27 2017	April 23 2019
Ranking	#257	#323

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