GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R9 M280X

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

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

Radeon R9 M280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X: 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

  • 294.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $101 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1522% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Radeon R9 M280X is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1650 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1650 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 67.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $250 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • 166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

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 294.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 866.7% in PassMark G3D (7,869 vs 814), 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 28nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013. 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 to buy today. It is $101 cheaper on MSRP at $149 vs $250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1522% (52.8 vs 3.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X 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: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 814 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 866.7%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score
7,869+867%
814
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 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M280X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R9 M280X
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 80 GB/s (Radeon R9 M280X) — a 60% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1650. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s+60%
80 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+33%
0.75 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R9 M280X
TDP
75W-63%
200W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
229mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
104.9+2459%
4.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 1650 was 40.4% cheaper ($101 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 1500% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP
$149-40%
$250
Performance per Dollar
52.8+1500%
3.3
Codename
TU117
Tahiti
Release
April 23 2019
October 8 2013
Ranking
#323
#404

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.