GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon HD 7850

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 965M

2016Core: 944 MHzBoost: 1150 MHz

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Radeon HD 7850

2012Boost: 1000 MHz

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GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon HD 7850 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 965M

4 GB 50

3,860

0.0%

GeForce GTX 745

GeForce GTX 950M

GeForce GTX 675MX

GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST

GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)

GeForce GTX 980M SLI

GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Radeon HD 7850

2 GB 130

3,897

+1.0%

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 965M vs Radeon HD 7850 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 965M vs Radeon HD 7850: 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 965M

2016

Why buy it

✅3.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 130W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 4 GB 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 15.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7850

2012

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 965M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌160% higher power demand at 130W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 965M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7850 instead at 3,897 vs 3,860, 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 965M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2012. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7850 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, Radeon HD 7850 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 965M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon HD 7850 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 965M

The GeForce GTX 965M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in 2016. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 944 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,860 points.

Radeon HD 7850

The Radeon HD 7850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,897 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 965M scores 3,860 and the Radeon HD 7850 reaches 3,897 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 965M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon HD 7850 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 7850). Raw compute: 2.355 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
G3D Mark Score	3,860	3,897
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.355 TFLOPS+34%	1.761 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1150 MHz+15%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	64
L1 Cache	384 KB+50%	256 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 965M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7850 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
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 965M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7850 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 965M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 80 GB/s (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7850) — a 92% advantage for the Radeon HD 7850. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 965M and 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7850. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7850) — the GeForce GTX 965M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	153.6 GB/s+92%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 12 (Radeon HD 7850). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC) (GeForce GTX 965M) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7850). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP6) vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 965M) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 7850).

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
Encoder	NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP6)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 965M draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 7850's 130W — a 88.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 965M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7850). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 210mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
TDP	50W-62%	130W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	210mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	77.2+157%	30.0

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 965M (2016 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon HD 7850
MSRP	—	$249
Codename	GM206S	Pitcairn
Release	2016	March 5 2012
Ranking	#510	#503

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