GeForce GTX 260M vs Radeon HD 8510G

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 vs Radeon HD 8510G 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 vs Radeon HD 8510G: 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

2008

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8510G across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB 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 8.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $45 MSRP).
❌40% higher power demand at 182W vs 130W.

Radeon HD 8510G

2012

Why buy it

✅0.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($45 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 130W instead of 182W, a 52W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB 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 HD 8510G is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 260M instead at 382 vs 373, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTX 260M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8510G 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 HD 8510G is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 260M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 260M vs Radeon HD 8510G Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260M

The GeForce GTX 260M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 382 points. Launch price was $449.

Radeon HD 8510G

The Radeon HD 8510G 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: 373 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 260M scores 382 and the Radeon HD 8510G reaches 373 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260M is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8510G uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8510G). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8510G).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
G3D Mark Score	382+2%	373
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	1024+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4769 TFLOPS	1.761 TFLOPS+269%
ROPs	28	32+14%
TMUs	64	64
L2 Cache	224 KB	512 KB+129%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8510G leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
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 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8510G carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 260M gives you 100% 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 260M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8510G. L2 Cache: 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8510G) — the Radeon HD 8510G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	224 KB	512 KB+129%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 11_0 (Radeon HD 8510G). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	11_0
OpenGL	3.3	4.4+33%
Max Displays	2	0

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 8510G). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8510G).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD 3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260M draws 182W versus the Radeon HD 8510G's 130W — a 33.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8510G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8510G). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
TDP	182W	130W-29%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	None	1x 6-pin
Length	—	1mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	2.1	2.9+38%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 8510G (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260M	Radeon HD 8510G
MSRP	—	$45
Codename	GT200	Pitcairn
Release	June 16 2008	March 5 2012
Ranking	#821	#503

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