GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID M60-8A

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz
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VS

GRID M60-8A

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID M60-8A 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 690 vs GRID M60-8A: 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 690

2012

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,501 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 150.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 33.3% higher power demand at 300W vs 225W.
  • 27800% longer card at 279mm vs 1mm.

GRID M60-8A

2015

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 225W instead of 300W, a 75W reduction.
  • Measures 1mm instead of 279mm, a 278mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 150.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 690 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.2% in PassMark G3D (5,536 vs 5,523), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 690 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 690 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,501 cheaper on MSRP at $999 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 150.8% (5.5 vs 2.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID M60-8A Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

The GeForce GTX 690 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 3 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 915 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 3072 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,536 points. Launch price was $999.

NVIDIA

GRID M60-8A

The GRID M60-8A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,523 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 690 scores 5,536 and the GRID M60-8A reaches 5,523 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the GRID M60-8A uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2,048 (GRID M60-8A). Raw compute: 3.13 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID M60-8A). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
G3D Mark Score
5,536
5,523
Architecture
Kepler
Maxwell 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3072 ×2+50%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.13 TFLOPS ×2
4.825 TFLOPS+54%
Boost Clock
1019 MHz
1178 MHz+16%
ROPs
32 ×2
64+100%
TMUs
128 ×2
128
L1 Cache
128 KB
768 KB+500%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 690 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The GRID M60-8A leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 690 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GRID M60-8A carries 4 GB. GRID M60-8A gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX 690 and 128-bit on the GRID M60-8A. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2 MB (GRID M60-8A) — the GRID M60-8A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit x2+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 12_1 (GRID M60-8A). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
DirectX
12_0
12_1
Max Displays
4
0
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the GRID M60-8A's 225W — a 28.6% difference. The GRID M60-8A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 350W (GRID M60-8A). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 279mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
TDP
300W
225W-25%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
1mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Perf/Watt
18.5
24.5+32%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 690 came in at $999, while the GRID M60-8A launched at $2500. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 690 was 60% cheaper ($1501 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2.2 (GRID M60-8A) — the GeForce GTX 690 offers 150% better value. The newer card here is GRID M60-8A (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID M60-8A
MSRP
$999-60%
$2500
Performance per Dollar
5.5+150%
2.2
Codename
GK104
GM204
Release
May 3 2012
August 30 2015
Ranking
#414
#505

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