GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon RX 5500M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680

2012Core: 1006 MHzBoost: 1058 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5500M

2019Core: 1375 MHzBoost: 1645 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 680 vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 680 vs Radeon RX 5500M: 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 680

2012

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5500M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 129.4% higher power demand at 195W vs 85W.

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

  • 10.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 85W instead of 195W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 11.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 5500M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 10.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.2% in PassMark G3D (5,954 vs 5,609), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 5500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 680 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 680 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, GeForce GTX 680 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 5500M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon RX 5500M Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

AMD

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 5,954 — the Radeon RX 5500M leads by 6.2%. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score
5,609
5,954+6%
Architecture
Kepler
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
1536+9%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.25 TFLOPS
4.632 TFLOPS+43%
Boost Clock
1058 MHz
1645 MHz+55%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128+45%
88
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500M is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 680 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 680 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 5500M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) — a 16.5% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500M. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 680) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon RX 5500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
192.2 GB/s
224 GB/s+17%
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 680) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5500M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
DirectX
12 (FL 11_0)
12
Vulkan
1.1
1.2+9%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 680) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder
NVENC 1st gen
VCN 2.0
Decoder
PureVideo VP5
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 78.6% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 256mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 98°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
TDP
195W
85W-56%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
256mm
0mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
98°C
75°C-23%
Perf/Watt
28.8
70.0+143%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500M (2019 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 680Radeon RX 5500M
MSRP
$499
Codename
GK104
Navi 14
Release
March 22 2012
October 7 2019
Ranking
#410
#400

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.