RADEON 9600SE vs GeForce FX 5900ZT

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The RADEON 9600SE is positioned at rank #723 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar RADEON 9600SE

#713

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

25850%

#715

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

23433%

#716

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

23371%

#720

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

21252%

#721

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

21107%

#723

RADEON 9600SE

MSRP: $65|Avg: $65

100%

#724

Radeon X1200

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

98%

#725

Radeon 2100

MSRP: $149|Avg: $49

95%

#726

GeForce 6800

MSRP: $299|Avg: $50

90%

#727

Radeon 3100

MSRP: $199|Avg: $30

88%

#728

GeForce 6800 GT

MSRP: $399|Avg: $40

86%

#729

GeForce 7950 GX2

MSRP: $599|Avg: $80

81%

#730

MOBILITY RADEON X1800

MSRP: $399|Avg: $50

79%

#731

Mobility Radeon X1450

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

79%

#732

MOBILITY RADEON 9550

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

71%

#733

MOBILITY RADEON 7000 IGP

MSRP: $20|Avg: $5

71%

#734

GeForce 6200

MSRP: $129|Avg: $10

69%

#736

GeForce FX 5500

MSRP: $37|Avg: $30

52%

#737

RADEON 9500

MSRP: $179|Avg: $30

48%

#738

MOBILITY RADEON 9800

MSRP: $229|Avg: $25

48%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9600SE is significantly newer (2025 vs 2011). The RADEON 9600SE likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5900ZT lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce FX 5900ZT is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 22.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the RADEON 9600SE offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-22.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+22.2%)
Longevity	RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+300%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce FX 5900ZT remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

RADEON 9600SE Benchmark Check

GeForce FX 5900ZT Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of RADEON 9600SE and GeForce FX 5900ZT

RADEON 9600SE

The RADEON 9600SE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27 points.

GeForce FX 5900ZT

The GeForce FX 5900ZT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 24 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 1024 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 365W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 33 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the RADEON 9600SE scores 27 versus the GeForce FX 5900ZT's 33 — the GeForce FX 5900ZT leads by 22.2%. The RADEON 9600SE is built on RDNA 3.5 while the GeForce FX 5900ZT uses Rankine, both on 4 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (RADEON 9600SE) vs 1,024 (GeForce FX 5900ZT). Raw compute: 14.85 TFLOPS (RADEON 9600SE) vs 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce FX 5900ZT).

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
G3D Mark Score	27	33+22%
Architecture	RDNA 3.5	Rankine
Process Node	4 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	2560+150%	1024 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)	14.85 TFLOPS+1094%	1.244 TFLOPS ×2
ROPs	64+33%	48 ×2
TMUs	160+150%	64 ×2
L2 Cache	8 MB+967%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The RADEON 9600SE comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce FX 5900ZT has 128 MB. The RADEON 9600SE offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 8 MB (RADEON 9600SE) vs 0.75 MB (GeForce FX 5900ZT) — the RADEON 9600SE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB+300%	0.125 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	8 MB+967%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0 (RADEON 9600SE) vs 9.0a (GeForce FX 5900ZT). Vulkan: N/A vs N/A. OpenGL: 2.0 vs 2.1. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
DirectX	9.0	9.0a
Vulkan	N/A	N/A
OpenGL	2.0	2.1+5%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (RADEON 9600SE) vs None (GeForce FX 5900ZT). Decoder: None vs None. Supported codecs: MPEG-2 (RADEON 9600SE) vs MPEG-2 (GeForce FX 5900ZT).

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
Encoder	None	None
Decoder	None	None
Codecs	MPEG-2	MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9600SE draws 55W versus the GeForce FX 5900ZT's 365W — a 147.6% difference. The RADEON 9600SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9600SE) vs 350W (GeForce FX 5900ZT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 218mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 60 vs 70.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	GeForce FX 5900ZT
TDP	55W-85%	365W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	168mm	218mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	60-14%	70
Perf/Watt	0.5+400%	0.1

💰

Value Analysis

The RADEON 9600SE launched at $65 MSRP and currently averages $65, while the GeForce FX 5900ZT launched at $0 and now averages $0. The GeForce FX 5900ZT costs 100+% less ($65 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 0.4 (RADEON 9600SE) vs Infinity (GeForce FX 5900ZT) — the GeForce FX 5900ZT offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9600SE is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2011).