Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 5450

NVIDIA

Quadro NVS 420

2018Core: 1227 MHzBoost: 1647 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 5450

2009Core: 725 MHz
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Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 5450 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.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 5450 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 NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 5450: 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 NVS 420

2018

Why buy it

  • 0.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Radeon HD 5450 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Quadro NVS 420 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 100W instead of 151W, a 51W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $60 MSRP).

Radeon HD 5450

2009

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Quadro NVS 420 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 51% higher power demand at 151W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro NVS 420 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (137 vs 136), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro NVS 420 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 5450 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 HD 5450 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro NVS 420 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 5450 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro NVS 420

The Quadro NVS 420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1227 MHz to 1647 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 137 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 5450

The Radeon HD 5450 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 136 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The Quadro NVS 420 scores 137 and the Radeon HD 5450 reaches 136 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro NVS 420 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 5450 uses TeraScale 2, both on 16 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Quadro NVS 420) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5450). Raw compute: 7.589 TFLOPS (Quadro NVS 420) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5450).

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 5450
G3D Mark Score
137
136
Architecture
Pascal
TeraScale 2
Process Node
16 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
2304+60%
1440
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.589 TFLOPS+263%
2.088 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
144+100%
72
L1 Cache
864 KB+500%
144 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 5450
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 NVS 420 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5450 carries 2 GB. Quadro NVS 420 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 NVS 420 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5450. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro NVS 420) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5450) — the Quadro NVS 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 5450
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro NVS 420 draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 5450's 151W — a 40.6% difference. The Quadro NVS 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro NVS 420) vs 350W (Radeon HD 5450). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 5450
TDP
100W-34%
151W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
160mm
Slots
1
Perf/Watt
1.4+56%
0.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro NVS 420 came in at $0, while the Radeon HD 5450 launched at $60. On MSRP, Quadro NVS 420 was 100+% cheaper ($60 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Quadro NVS 420) vs 2.3 (Radeon HD 5450) — the Quadro NVS 420 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Quadro NVS 420 (2018 vs 2009).

FeatureQuadro NVS 420Radeon HD 5450
MSRP
$0-100%
$60
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
2.3
Codename
GP104
Cypress
Release
February 21 2018
September 30 2009
Ranking
#266
#682

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