GeForce GTX 1650
Radeon HD 3850
GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon HD 3850 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 GTX 1650 vs Radeon HD 3850 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon HD 3850: 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 1650
2019Why buy it
- ✅695.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 2257.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
- ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
- ✅Radeon HD 3850 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1650 is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
- ❌10.1% longer card at 229mm vs 208mm.
Radeon HD 3850
2012Why buy it
- ✅Measures 208mm instead of 229mm, a 21mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1650 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌20.1% HIGHER MSRP$179 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon HD 3850 Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon HD 3850
The Radeon HD 3850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 401 points. Launch price was $249.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon HD 3850's 401 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 1862.3%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 3850 uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1000 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 7,869+1862% | 401 |
| Architecture | Turing | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 896 | 1024+14% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.984 TFLOPS+69% | 1.761 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1665 MHz+67% | 1000 MHz |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 56 | 64+14% |
| L1 Cache | 896 KB+250% | 256 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 0.5 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 1650 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 3850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GTX 1650 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 3850 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 1650 gives you 300% 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 GTX 1650 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB+300% | 1 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 128 GB/s | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 0.5 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12+19% | 10.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6+39% | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 3+50% | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD+. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 5th gen (Volta) | — |
| Decoder | NVDEC 4th gen | UVD+ |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 | H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 3850's 130W — a 53.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 450W (Radeon HD 3850). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 208mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 75W-42% | 130W |
| Recommended PSU | 300W-33% | 450W |
| Power Connector | None | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 229mm | 208mm |
| Height | 111mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 1-50% |
| Temp (Load) | 70°C-13% | 80°C |
| Perf/Watt | 104.9+3284% | 3.1 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the Radeon HD 3850 launched at $179. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1650 was 16.8% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 2300% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2012).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1650 | Radeon HD 3850 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $149-17% | $179 |
| Performance per Dollar | 52.8+2300% | 2.2 |
| Codename | TU117 | Pitcairn |
| Release | April 23 2019 | March 5 2012 |
| Ranking | #323 | #503 |
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