GeForce GTX 850M vs GeForce GTX 860M SLI

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 850M vs GeForce GTX 860M SLI 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 850M vs GeForce GTX 860M SLI: 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 850M

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 120W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 860M SLI across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 860M SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅20.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 120W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 860M SLI is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 20.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 850M instead at 2,537 vs 2,500, 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 850M 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 850M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 860M SLI still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 850M vs GeForce GTX 860M SLI Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 850M

The GeForce GTX 850M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock speed is Up to 936 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,537 points.

GeForce GTX 860M SLI

The GeForce GTX 860M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock speed is 1029 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,500 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 850M scores 2,537 and the GeForce GTX 860M SLI reaches 2,500 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 850M is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 860M SLI uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GeForce GTX 850M) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 860M SLI).

Feature	GeForce GTX 850M	GeForce GTX 860M SLI
G3D Mark Score	2,537+1%	2,500
Architecture	Maxwell	Maxwell
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	1280+100%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 850M	GeForce GTX 860M SLI
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 850M and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 860M SLI.

Feature	GeForce GTX 850M	GeForce GTX 860M SLI
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 850M draws 45W versus the GeForce GTX 860M SLI's 120W — a 90.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 850M) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 860M SLI). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 850M	GeForce GTX 860M SLI
TDP	45W-63%	120W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	56.4+171%	20.8