GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon R9 M485X

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 R9 M485X 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 R9 M485X: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 250W, a 200W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M485X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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 8.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $450 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M485X

2016

Why buy it

✅21.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌400% higher power demand at 250W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M485X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 965M instead at 3,860 vs 3,801, 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. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M485X 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 R9 M485X 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 R9 M485X 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 R9 M485X

The Radeon R9 M485X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,801 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 965M scores 3,860 and the Radeon R9 M485X reaches 3,801 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 965M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M485X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M485X). Raw compute: 2.355 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M485X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon R9 M485X
G3D Mark Score	3,860+2%	3,801
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.355 TFLOPS	2.961 TFLOPS+26%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	128+100%
L1 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%
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 R9 M485X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon R9 M485X
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 R9 M485X 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 bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 965M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M485X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M485X) — the GeForce GTX 965M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon R9 M485X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	80 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M485X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon R9 M485X
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC) (GeForce GTX 965M) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 M485X). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP6) vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 965M) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 M485X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 965M	Radeon R9 M485X
Encoder	NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC)	VCE 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP6)	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 965M draws 50W versus the Radeon R9 M485X's 250W — a 133.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 965M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M485X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.