GeForce MX450 vs Radeon R9 M485X

NVIDIA

GeForce MX450

2020Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 1575 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M485X

2016Core: 723 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce MX450 vs Radeon R9 M485X 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 MX450 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 MX450 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 MX450

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • Delivers 76.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 14.9 vs 8.4 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • Radeon R9 M485X is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce MX450 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 25W instead of 250W, a 225W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M485X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Radeon R9 M485X

2016

Why buy it

  • 20.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 80% HIGHER MSRP
    $450 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.4 vs 14.9 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • 900% higher power demand at 250W vs 25W.

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 20.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (3,801 vs 3,720), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce MX450 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce MX450 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $450, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 76.2% (14.9 vs 8.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M485X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce MX450 vs Radeon R9 M485X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce MX450

The GeForce MX450 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 1 2020. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1575 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,720 points.

AMD

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 MX450 scores 3,720 and the Radeon R9 M485X reaches 3,801 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce MX450 is built on Turing while the Radeon R9 M485X uses GCN 3.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce MX450) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M485X). Raw compute: 3.226 TFLOPS (GeForce MX450) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M485X).

FeatureGeForce MX450Radeon R9 M485X
G3D Mark Score
3,720
3,801+2%
Architecture
Turing
GCN 3.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
896
2048+129%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.226 TFLOPS+9%
2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
64
128+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce MX450 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.

FeatureGeForce MX450Radeon 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)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce MX450 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M485X.

FeatureGeForce MX450Radeon R9 M485X
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
80 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX450 draws 25W versus the Radeon R9 M485X's 250W — a 163.6% difference. The GeForce MX450 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX450) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M485X). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce MX450Radeon R9 M485X
TDP
25W-90%
250W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Mobile
Mobile
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
148.8+879%
15.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce MX450 came in at $250, while the Radeon R9 M485X launched at $450. On MSRP, GeForce MX450 was 44.4% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 14.9 (GeForce MX450) vs 8.4 (Radeon R9 M485X) — the GeForce MX450 offers 77.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce MX450 (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce MX450Radeon R9 M485X
MSRP
$250-44%
$450
Performance per Dollar
14.9+77%
8.4
Codename
N17S-G5 / GP107-670-A1
Amethyst
Release
August 1 2020
May 15 2016
Ranking
#523
#519

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