GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 650

2012Core: 1058 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
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GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H: 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).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H 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.
  • 333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H

2020

Why buy it

  • 139.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 hardware with Unknown 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).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 139.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 650 instead at 1,756 vs 1,717, 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 Unknown of VRAM. 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 650 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H 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 Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,717 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 650 scores 1,756 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H reaches 1,717 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 650 is built on Kepler while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H uses Vega, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTX 650) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H).

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
G3D Mark Score
1,756+2%
1,717
Architecture
Kepler
Vega
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
384
512+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 650 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
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)

The GeForce GTX 650 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 650 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 650 and System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
80 GB/s
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11_0 (GeForce GTX 650) vs 12 (FL 12_1) (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
DirectX
11_0
12 (FL 12_1)+9%
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd Gen (GeForce GTX 650) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs VCN 1.0. Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 650) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H).

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
Encoder
NVENC 2nd Gen
VCN 1.0
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
VCN 1.0
Codecs
H.264
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 650 draws 65W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H's 15W — a 125% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 650) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
TDP
65W
15W-77%
Recommended PSU
300W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
145mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Perf/Watt
27.0
114.5+324%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 650 came in at $109, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H was 100+% cheaper ($109 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.1 (GeForce GTX 650) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H) — the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H (2020 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 650Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3550H
MSRP
$109
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
16.1
Infinity
Codename
GK107
Vega
Release
September 6 2012
January 7 2020
Ranking
#719
#545

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