Quadro FX 3500 vs Radeon HD 8490

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 FX 3500 vs Radeon HD 8490 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 FX 3500 vs Radeon HD 8490: 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 FX 3500

2008

Why buy it

✅14.0% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1515.2% HIGHER MSRP
$1,599 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.2 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8490

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,500 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1503% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 256 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro FX 3500 across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2009 hardware with 1 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?

Quadro FX 3500 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.0% in average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (265 vs 263), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Quadro FX 3500 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?

Radeon HD 8490 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,500 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $1,599, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1503% (2.7 vs 0.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8490 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro FX 3500 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro FX 3500 vs Radeon HD 8490 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro FX 3500

The Quadro FX 3500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 265 points. Launch price was $3,499.

Radeon HD 8490

The Radeon HD 8490 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 263 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The Quadro FX 3500 scores 265 and the Radeon HD 8490 reaches 263 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro FX 3500 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8490 uses TeraScale, both on a 55 nm process. Shader units: 240 (Quadro FX 3500) vs 800 (Radeon HD 8490). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 3500) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8490).

Feature	Quadro FX 3500	Radeon HD 8490
G3D Mark Score	265	263
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	TeraScale
Process Node	55 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	240	800+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	1.36 TFLOPS+119%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+100%	40
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro FX 3500	Radeon HD 8490
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 Quadro FX 3500 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8490 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 8490 gives you 300% 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 FX 3500 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 8490.

Feature	Quadro FX 3500	Radeon HD 8490
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	1 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro FX 3500 draws 189W versus the Radeon HD 8490's 190W — a 0.5% difference. The Quadro FX 3500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro FX 3500) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8490). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Quadro FX 3500	Radeon HD 8490
TDP	189W	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	—	168mm
Slots	—	1
Perf/Watt	1.4	1.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro FX 3500 came in at $1599, while the Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8490 was 93.8% cheaper ($1500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.2 (Quadro FX 3500) vs 2.7 (Radeon HD 8490) — the Radeon HD 8490 offers 1250% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8490 (2009 vs 2008).

Feature	Quadro FX 3500	Radeon HD 8490
MSRP	$1599	$99-94%
Performance per Dollar	0.2	2.7+1250%
Codename	GT200B	RV790
Release	November 11 2008	April 2 2009
Ranking	#815	#762

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