GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon HD 6900M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 650

2012Core: 1058 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6900M

2011Core: 680 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon HD 6900M 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 650 vs Radeon HD 6900M 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 650 vs Radeon HD 6900M: 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 650

2012

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 65W instead of 75W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6900M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 6900M

2011

Why buy it

  • 83.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 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 16.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
  • 15.4% higher power demand at 75W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6900M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 83.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 650 instead at 1,756 vs 1,707, 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 650 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 650 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon HD 6900M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon HD 6900M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 650

The GeForce GTX 650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 1058 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,756 points. Launch price was $109.

AMD

Radeon HD 6900M

The Radeon HD 6900M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,707 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 650 scores 1,756 and the Radeon HD 6900M reaches 1,707 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 650 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 6900M uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTX 650) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6900M). Raw compute: 0.8125 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 650) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6900M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon HD 6900M
G3D Mark Score
1,756+3%
1,707
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 2
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384
960+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.8125 TFLOPS
1.306 TFLOPS+61%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
32
48+50%
L1 Cache
32 KB
192 KB+500%
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 650 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 6900M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon HD 6900M
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 650 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6900M carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 650 gives you 300% 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 650 and System on the Radeon HD 6900M. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTX 650) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 6900M) — the Radeon HD 6900M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon HD 6900M
VRAM Capacity
2 GB+300%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
80 GB/s
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
L2 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 650 draws 65W versus the Radeon HD 6900M's 75W — a 14.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 650) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6900M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon HD 6900M
TDP
65W-13%
75W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
145mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
27.0+18%
22.8
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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 650 (2012 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon HD 6900M
MSRP
$109
Codename
GK107
Blackcomb
Release
September 6 2012
January 4 2011
Ranking
#719
#654

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