GeForce GTX 485M vs GeForce MX250

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 485M vs GeForce MX250 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 485M vs GeForce MX250: 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 485M

2011

Why buy it

✅79.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 2 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 15.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌900% higher power demand at 100W vs 10W.

GeForce MX250

2019

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅GeForce GTX 485M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce MX250 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 10W instead of 100W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 485M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2019 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 485M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 79.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce MX250 instead at 2,375 vs 2,360, 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 MX250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2011. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce MX250 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 485M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 485M vs GeForce MX250 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 485M

The GeForce GTX 485M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 1150 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,360 points.

GeForce MX250

The GeForce MX250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 937 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,375 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 485M scores 2,360 and the GeForce MX250 reaches 2,375 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 485M is built on Fermi while the GeForce MX250 uses Pascal, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTX 485M) vs 384 (GeForce MX250). Raw compute: 0.8832 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 485M) vs 0.7972 TFLOPS (GeForce MX250).

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
G3D Mark Score	2,360	2,375
Architecture	Fermi	Pascal
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8832 TFLOPS+11%	0.7972 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	64+167%	24
L1 Cache	512 KB+256%	144 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 485M and 64-bit on the GeForce MX250.

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	48 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 485M) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce MX250). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.0	4.6+15%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 485M) vs None (GeForce MX250). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs NVDEC 3rd Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 485M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce MX250).

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	NVDEC 3rd Gen
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,H.265,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 485M draws 100W versus the GeForce MX250's 10W — a 163.6% difference. The GeForce MX250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 485M) vs 350W (GeForce MX250). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
TDP	100W	10W-90%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	90°C	75-17%
Perf/Watt	23.6	237.5+906%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce MX250 (2019 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce GTX 485M	GeForce MX250
MSRP	—	$150
Codename	GF104	GP108B
Release	January 5 2011	February 20 2019
Ranking	#645	#643

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