GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R5 230

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon R5 230

2017Core: 730 MHzBoost: 1024 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R5 230 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 R5 230 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 1650 vs Radeon R5 230: 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

2019

Why buy it

  • 1641.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1089.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Radeon R5 230 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.
  • 50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.
  • 36.3% longer card at 229mm vs 168mm.

Radeon R5 230

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $99 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.
  • Measures 168mm instead of 229mm, a 61mm 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 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with 512 MB 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 4.4 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1650 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1641.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3444.6% in PassMark G3D (7,869 vs 222), 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: 4 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2017. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 more expensive on MSRP at $149 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1089.5% (52.8 vs 4.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R5 230 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon R5 230

The Radeon R5 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon R5 230's 222 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 3444.6%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon R5 230 uses GCN 3.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 384 (Radeon R5 230). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 230). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1024 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
G3D Mark Score
7,869+3445%
222
Architecture
Turing
GCN 3.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
896+133%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS+279%
0.7864 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1665 MHz+63%
1024 MHz
ROPs
32+300%
8
TMUs
56+133%
24
L1 Cache
896 KB+833%
96 KB
L2 Cache
1 MB+669%
0.13 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1650 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 230 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
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 R5 230 carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 1650 gives you 700% 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 R5 230. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.13 MB (Radeon R5 230) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+700%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+669%
0.13 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 11.2 (Radeon R5 230). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
DirectX
12+7%
11.2
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon R5 230). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD 2.2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
UVD 2.2
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
UVD 2.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon R5 230's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon R5 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 350W (Radeon R5 230). Power connectors: None vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 229mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
TDP
75W
50W-33%
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
PCIe-powered
Length
229mm
168mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
104.9+2284%
4.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the Radeon R5 230 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon R5 230 was 66.4% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 4.4 (Radeon R5 230) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 1100% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R5 230
MSRP
$149
$50-66%
Performance per Dollar
52.8+1100%
4.4
Codename
TU117
Weston
Release
April 23 2019
April 18 2017
Ranking
#323
#873

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