GRID K520 vs GRID M6-8Q

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 K520 vs GRID M6-8Q 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.

GRID K520 vs GRID M6-8Q: 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 K520

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
139.9% HIGHER MSRP
$3,599 MSRPvs$1,500 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($3,599 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
❌125% higher power demand at 225W vs 100W.
❌26600% longer card at 267mm vs 1mm.

GRID M6-8Q

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,099 less on MSRP ($1,500 MSRP vs $3,599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 143.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $3,599 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 225W, a 125W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 267mm, a 266mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 2 GB 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?

GRID M6-8Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (3,568 vs 3,516), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GRID K520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GRID M6-8Q makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,099 cheaper on MSRP at $1,500 vs $3,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 143.5% (2.4 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GRID M6-8Q is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K520 has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K520 vs GRID M6-8Q Technical Specifications

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

GRID K520

The GRID K520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,516 points. Launch price was $3,599.

GRID M6-8Q

The GRID M6-8Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 722 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,568 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GRID K520 scores 3,516 and the GRID M6-8Q reaches 3,568 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K520 is built on Kepler while the GRID M6-8Q uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K520) vs 1,536 (GRID M6-8Q). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K520) vs 2.218 TFLOPS (GRID M6-8Q).

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
G3D Mark Score	3,516	3,568+1%
Architecture	Kepler	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536 ×2	1536
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.289 TFLOPS ×2+3%	2.218 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2	64+100%
TMUs	128 ×2+33%	96
L1 Cache	128 KB	576 KB+350%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K520 and 64-bit on the GRID M6-8Q. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GRID K520) vs 2 MB (GRID M6-8Q) — the GRID M6-8Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GRID K520) vs 12_1 (GRID M6-8Q). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 0.

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12_1
Max Displays	0	0

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K520 draws 225W versus the GRID M6-8Q's 100W — a 76.9% difference. The GRID M6-8Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K520) vs 350W (GRID M6-8Q). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
TDP	225W	100W-56%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	15.6	35.7+129%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K520 came in at $3599, while the GRID M6-8Q launched at $1500. On MSRP, GRID M6-8Q was 58.3% cheaper ($2099 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (GRID K520) vs 2.4 (GRID M6-8Q) — the GRID M6-8Q offers 140% better value. The newer card here is GRID M6-8Q (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	GRID K520	GRID M6-8Q
MSRP	$3599	$1500-58%
Performance per Dollar	1.0	2.4+140%
Codename	GK104	GM204
Release	July 23 2013	August 30 2015
Ranking	#540	#535

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