GRID K120Q vs Radeon HD 6520G

GRID K120Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 6520G

2010Boost: 800 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID K120Q vs Radeon HD 6520G 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.

GRID K120Q vs Radeon HD 6520G: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GRID K120Q

2013

Why buy it

  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 212.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $125 MSRPvs$40 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.3 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($125 MSRP vs $40 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6520G

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $85 less on MSRP ($40 MSRP vs $125 MSRP).
  • Delivers 220% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 2.3 G3D/$ ($40 MSRP vs $125 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • 2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 6520G is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (300 vs 293), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID K120Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2013 generation instead of 2010. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 6520G makes the most sense to buy today. It is $85 cheaper on MSRP at $40 vs $125, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 220% (7.5 vs 2.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6520G is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K120Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K120Q vs Radeon HD 6520G Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID K120Q

The GRID K120Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 293 points. Launch price was $937.

AMD

Radeon HD 6520G

The Radeon HD 6520G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 300 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The GRID K120Q scores 293 and the Radeon HD 6520G reaches 300 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K120Q is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 6520G uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K120Q) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6520G). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID K120Q) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6520G).

FeatureGRID K120QRadeon HD 6520G
G3D Mark Score
293
300+2%
Architecture
Kepler
TeraScale 3
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
1536+9%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS+2%
2.253 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128+45%
88
L1 Cache
128 KB
352 KB+175%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID K120QRadeon HD 6520G
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K120Q and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6520G.

FeatureGRID K120QRadeon HD 6520G
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K120Q draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 6520G's 200W — a 11.8% difference. The Radeon HD 6520G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K120Q) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6520G). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID K120QRadeon HD 6520G
TDP
225W
200W-11%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
1.3
1.5+15%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K120Q came in at $125, while the Radeon HD 6520G launched at $40. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6520G was 68% cheaper ($85 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.3 (GRID K120Q) vs 7.5 (Radeon HD 6520G) — the Radeon HD 6520G offers 226.1% better value. The newer card here is GRID K120Q (2013 vs 2010).

FeatureGRID K120QRadeon HD 6520G
MSRP
$125
$40-68%
Performance per Dollar
2.3
7.5+226%
Codename
GK104
Cayman
Release
June 28 2013
December 14 2010
Ranking
#589
#623

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