GeForce GTX 965M
Radeon RX Vega M GL
GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon RX Vega M GL 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 965M vs Radeon RX Vega M GL 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon RX Vega M GL: 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
2016Why buy it
- ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
- ✅Radeon RX Vega M GL is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 965M is the less risky modern option long term.
- ✅Draws 50W instead of 65W, a 15W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega M GL 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 26.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
Radeon RX Vega M GL
2018Why buy it
- ✅6.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2018 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌30% higher power demand at 65W vs 50W.
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon RX Vega M GL 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 RX Vega M GL
The Radeon RX Vega M GL is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 1 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 931 MHz to 1011 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,906 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 965M scores 3,860 and the Radeon RX Vega M GL reaches 3,906 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 965M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX Vega M GL uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 1,280 (Radeon RX Vega M GL). Raw compute: 2.355 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 2.588 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega M GL). Boost clocks: 1150 MHz vs 1011 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,860 | 3,906+1% |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024 | 1280+25% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.355 TFLOPS | 2.588 TFLOPS+10% |
| Boost Clock | 1150 MHz+14% | 1011 MHz |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 64 | 80+25% |
| L1 Cache | 384 KB+20% | 320 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX 965M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega M GL leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| 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 RX Vega M GL carries 0 MB. 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 179.2 GB/s (Radeon RX Vega M GL) — a 124% advantage for the Radeon RX Vega M GL. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 965M and 1024-bit on the Radeon RX Vega M GL.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | Shared System RAM |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | HBM2 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 80 GB/s | 179.2 GB/s+124% |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 1024-bit+700% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega M GL). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12 (12_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.4+17% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC) (GeForce GTX 965M) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX Vega M GL). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP6) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 965M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega M GL).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 5th Gen (HEVC) | VCE 3.0 |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD (VP6) | UVD 6.3 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265/HEVC | H.264,H.265,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 965M draws 50W versus the Radeon RX Vega M GL's 65W — a 26.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 965M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 965M) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega M GL). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W-23% | 65W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 1W-100% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | Integrated |
| Length | 0mm | 0mm |
| Height | 0mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C | 80 |
| Perf/Watt | 77.2+28% | 60.1 |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega M GL (2018 vs 2016).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 965M | Radeon RX Vega M GL |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $150 |
| Codename | GM206S | Polaris 22 |
| Release | 2016 | February 1 2018 |
| Ranking | #510 | #500 |
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