GeForce3 vs GeForce4 Ti 4200

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.

GeForce3 vs GeForce4 Ti 4200 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.

GeForce3 vs GeForce4 Ti 4200: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce3

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 450W, a 417W reduction.
✅Measures 165mm instead of 175mm, a 10mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (5 vs 6).
❌Less VRAM, with 65 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 65 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
150.8% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.0 vs 0.0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

GeForce4 Ti 4200

2022

Why buy it

✅+20% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 200.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.0 vs 0.0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅693.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 65 MB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌1263.6% higher power demand at 450W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce4 Ti 4200 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 20% in PassMark G3D (6 vs 5), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce4 Ti 4200 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 65 MB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, 128 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce4 Ti 4200 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $300 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 200.9% (0.0 vs 0.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce3 vs GeForce4 Ti 4200 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce3

The GeForce3 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5 points.

GeForce4 Ti 4200

The GeForce4 Ti 4200 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2235 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 16384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 450W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 128 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6 points. Launch price was $1,599.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce3 scores 5 versus the GeForce4 Ti 4200's 6 — the GeForce4 Ti 4200 leads by 20%. The GeForce3 is built on Maxwell while the GeForce4 Ti 4200 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce3) vs 16,384 (GeForce4 Ti 4200). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce3) vs 82.58 TFLOPS (GeForce4 Ti 4200). Boost clocks: 941 MHz vs 2520 MHz.

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
G3D Mark Score	5	6+20%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	384	16384+4167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7227 TFLOPS	82.58 TFLOPS+11327%
Boost Clock	941 MHz	2520 MHz+168%
ROPs	8	176+2100%
TMUs	24	512+2033%
L1 Cache	0.19 MB	16 MB+8321%
L2 Cache	1 MB	72 MB+7100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
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)

The GeForce3 has 65 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce4 Ti 4200 carries 512 MB. GeForce4 Ti 4200 gives you 693.7% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce3 and 64-bit on the GeForce4 Ti 4200. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce3) vs 72 MB (GeForce4 Ti 4200) — the GeForce4 Ti 4200 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
VRAM Capacity	0.063 GB	0.5 GB+694%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	72 MB+7100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 8.1 (GeForce3) vs 8.1 (GeForce4 Ti 4200). Vulkan: N/A vs N/A. OpenGL: 1.3 vs 1.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
DirectX	8.1	8.1
Vulkan	N/A	N/A
OpenGL	1.3	1.5+15%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce3) vs None (GeForce4 Ti 4200). Decoder: None vs None. Supported codecs: MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce3) vs MPEG-2 (GeForce4 Ti 4200).

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
Encoder	None	None
Decoder	None	None
Codecs	MPEG-1,MPEG-2	MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce3 draws 33W versus the GeForce4 Ti 4200's 450W — a 172.7% difference. The GeForce3 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce3) vs 350W (GeForce4 Ti 4200). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 165mm vs 175mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 vs 65.

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
TDP	33W-93%	450W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	165mm	175mm
Height	100mm	100mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	85	65-24%
Perf/Watt	0.2	0.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce3 came in at $499, while the GeForce4 Ti 4200 launched at $199. On MSRP, GeForce4 Ti 4200 was 60.1% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.0 (GeForce3) vs 0.0 (GeForce4 Ti 4200) — the GeForce4 Ti 4200 offers 0% better value. The newer card here is GeForce4 Ti 4200 (2022 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce3	GeForce4 Ti 4200
MSRP	$499	$199-60%
Performance per Dollar	0.0	0.0
Codename	GM108	AD102
Release	March 13 2015	September 20 2022
Ranking	#810	#4

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