GeForce GTX 260M SLI vs Radeon R5 M330

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 260M SLI vs Radeon R5 M330 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 260M SLI vs Radeon R5 M330: 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 260M SLI

2009

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R5 M330 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2009 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 0 vs 5.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $120 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Radeon R5 M330

2015

Why buy it

✅4.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($120 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R5 M330 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (596 vs 588), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 260M SLI is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 M330 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 M330 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 260M SLI has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 260M SLI vs Radeon R5 M330 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260M SLI

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 2 2009. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 550 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 588 points.

Radeon R5 M330

The Radeon R5 M330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 9 2015. It features the GCN architecture. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 596 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI scores 588 and the Radeon R5 M330 reaches 596 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260M SLI is built on G9x while the Radeon R5 M330 uses GCN, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 1,024 (Radeon R5 M330).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
G3D Mark Score	588	596+1%
Architecture	G9x	GCN
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	1024+357%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R5 M330 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M330 carries 4 GB. Radeon R5 M330 gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce GTX 260M SLI and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M330.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	4 GB+700%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 12 (FL11_1) (Radeon R5 M330). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 (FL11_1)+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.4+33%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs UVD (Radeon R5 M330). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs VCE. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs H.264,HEVC,MPEG-4,MVC (Radeon R5 M330).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	VCE
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,MPEG-4,MVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260M SLI draws 150W versus the Radeon R5 M330's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R5 M330 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 260M SLI) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M330). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
TDP	150W	75W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	90°C-5%	95°C
Perf/Watt	3.9	7.9+103%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R5 M330 (2015 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M SLI	Radeon R5 M330
MSRP	—	$120
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Pitcairn
Release	March 2 2009	June 9 2015
Ranking	#806	#522

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