GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID P40-12Q

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 690

2012Core: 915 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS

GRID P40-12Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID P40-12Q 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 P40-12Q: 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 $4,700 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 470.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.5 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $5,699 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.

GRID P40-12Q

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.
  • More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • 470.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,699 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GRID P40-12Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.1% in PassMark G3D (5,540 vs 5,536), 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 $4,700 cheaper on MSRP at $999 vs $5,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 470.1% (5.5 vs 1.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GRID P40-12Q still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 690 vs GRID P40-12Q 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 P40-12Q

The GRID P40-12Q 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: 5,540 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 690 scores 5,536 and the GRID P40-12Q reaches 5,540 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 690 is built on Kepler while the GRID P40-12Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2,048 (GRID P40-12Q). Raw compute: 3.13 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P40-12Q). Boost clocks: 1019 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID P40-12Q
G3D Mark Score
5,536
5,540
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 P40-12Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID P40-12Q
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 P40-12Q carries 4 GB. GRID P40-12Q 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 P40-12Q. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 690) vs 2 MB (GRID P40-12Q) — the GRID P40-12Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID P40-12Q
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%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 690 draws 300W versus the GRID P40-12Q's 225W — a 28.6% difference. The GRID P40-12Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce GTX 690) vs 350W (GRID P40-12Q). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID P40-12Q
TDP
300W
225W-25%
Recommended PSU
650W
350W-46%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
279mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
18.5
24.6+33%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 690 came in at $999, while the GRID P40-12Q launched at $5699. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 690 was 82.5% cheaper ($4700 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (GeForce GTX 690) vs 1.0 (GRID P40-12Q) — the GeForce GTX 690 offers 450% better value. The newer card here is GRID P40-12Q (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce GTX 690GRID P40-12Q
MSRP
$999-82%
$5699
Performance per Dollar
5.5+450%
1.0
Codename
GK104
GM204
Release
May 3 2012
August 30 2015
Ranking
#414
#433

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.