NVS 510 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT

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.

NVS 510 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT 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.

NVS 510 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

NVS 510

2015

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Measures 160mm instead of 241mm, a 81mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
❌
12.5% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌172% higher power demand at 68W vs 25W.

Radeon HD 2900 XT

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 25W instead of 68W, a 43W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌50.6% longer card at 241mm vs 160mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

NVS 510 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3% in PassMark G3D (680 vs 660), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

NVS 510 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 2900 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 9.2% (1.7 vs 1.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 2900 XT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, NVS 510 has the stronger long-term case.

NVS 510 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT Technical Specifications

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

NVS 510

The NVS 510 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 4 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 902 MHz to 1033 MHz. It has 512 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 68W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 680 points.

Radeon HD 2900 XT

The Radeon HD 2900 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 660 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The NVS 510 scores 680 and the Radeon HD 2900 XT reaches 660 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The NVS 510 is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 2900 XT uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 512 (NVS 510) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Raw compute: 1.058 TFLOPS ×2 (NVS 510) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 XT).

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
G3D Mark Score	680+3%	660
Architecture	Maxwell	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	512 ×2+7%	480
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.058 TFLOPS ×2+52%	0.696 TFLOPS
ROPs	16 ×2+100%	8
TMUs	32 ×2+33%	24
L1 Cache	256 KB+433%	48 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
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)

The NVS 510 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT carries 1 GB. NVS 510 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the NVS 510 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2900 XT. L2 Cache: 1 MB (NVS 510) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the NVS 510 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+100%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (NVS 510) vs 10.0 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
DirectX	12 (11_0)+20%	10.0
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (NVS 510) vs UVD+ (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Decoder: 1st Gen NVDEC (VP5) vs UVD+. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (NVS 510) vs H.264 (Radeon HD 2900 XT).

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
Encoder	1st Gen NVENC	UVD+
Decoder	1st Gen NVDEC (VP5)	UVD+
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The NVS 510 draws 68W versus the Radeon HD 2900 XT's 25W — a 92.5% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (NVS 510) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 241mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots.

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
TDP	68W	25W-63%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	160mm	241mm
Height	69mm	—
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	65°C	—
Perf/Watt	10.0	26.4+164%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the NVS 510 came in at $449, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT launched at $399. On MSRP, Radeon HD 2900 XT was 11.1% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.5 (NVS 510) vs 1.7 (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the Radeon HD 2900 XT offers 13.3% better value. The newer card here is NVS 510 (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	NVS 510	Radeon HD 2900 XT
MSRP	$449	$399-11%
Performance per Dollar	1.5	1.7+13%
Codename	GM107	Thames
Release	November 4 2015	January 7 2013
Ranking	#826	#883

Search NVS 510 on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 2900 XT on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.