Quadro 500M vs Radeon R5 420

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.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon R5 420 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.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon R5 420: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro 500M

2010

Why buy it

✅22.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 100W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 420

2017

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 100W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro 500M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 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?

Quadro 500M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 420 instead at 575 vs 571, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Quadro 500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 420 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 420 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro 500M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon R5 420 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro 500M

The Quadro 500M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 27 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 405 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 571 points.

Radeon R5 420

The Radeon R5 420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

The Quadro 500M scores 571 and the Radeon R5 420 reaches 575 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro 500M is built on Fermi while the Radeon R5 420 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 320 (Quadro 500M) vs 384 (Radeon R5 420). Raw compute: 0.5184 TFLOPS (Quadro 500M) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 420).

Feature	Quadro 500M	Radeon R5 420
G3D Mark Score	571	575
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	320	384+20%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5184 TFLOPS	0.9085 TFLOPS+75%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	40+67%	24
L1 Cache	640 KB+567%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro 500M	Radeon R5 420
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro 500M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 420 carries 512 MB. Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 420.

Feature	Quadro 500M	Radeon R5 420
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Quadro 500M draws 100W versus the Radeon R5 420's 50W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R5 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro 500M) vs 350W (Radeon R5 420). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None.

Feature	Quadro 500M	Radeon R5 420
TDP	100W	50W-50%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Perf/Watt	5.7	11.5+102%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R5 420 (2017 vs 2010).

Feature	Quadro 500M	Radeon R5 420
MSRP	—	$80
Codename	GF100	Lexa
Release	July 27 2010	April 20 2017
Ranking	#675	#773

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