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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅+49.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 200.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 7,869).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
100.7% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.6 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅+49.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 200.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5,248 vs 7,869).
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
100.7% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.6 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1650 better than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 7,869 vs 5,248 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 1650 is a 2019 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1650 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013, 49.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1650 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1650 is about $150 cheaper on MSRP at $149 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 49.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 200.9%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $299 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1650 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1650 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	94 FPS	100 FPS
medium	83 FPS	82 FPS
high	70 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	83 FPS
medium	74 FPS	70 FPS
high	60 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	27 FPS
medium	39 FPS	26 FPS
high	27 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	136 FPS	146 FPS
medium	113 FPS	118 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	79 FPS	86 FPS
medium	62 FPS	63 FPS
high	44 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	34 FPS
medium	27 FPS	25 FPS
high	21 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	323 FPS	236 FPS
medium	283 FPS	189 FPS
high	205 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	177 FPS
medium	202 FPS	142 FPS
high	151 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	130 FPS	118 FPS
medium	117 FPS	94 FPS
high	79 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	261 FPS	179 FPS
medium	211 FPS	148 FPS
high	191 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	201 FPS	126 FPS
medium	158 FPS	105 FPS
high	135 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	99 FPS	74 FPS
medium	74 FPS	59 FPS
high	65 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1650 and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

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 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 5,248 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 49.9%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	7,869+50%	5,248
Architecture	Turing	GCN 1.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	896	2048+129%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.984 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+37%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+67%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	128+129%
L1 Cache	896 KB+75%	512 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1650 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
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 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 1650 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 106.3% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Bus width: 128-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	264 GB/s+106%
Bus Width	128-bit	384-bit+200%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	12	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	6+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	UVD 3.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: None vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 80 C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	229mm	275mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-13%	80 C
Perf/Watt	104.9+300%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 50.2% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 200% better value. The GeForce GTX 1650 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2013).