Radeon HD 2900 GT
VS
GeForce GT 520M

Radeon HD 2900 GT vs GeForce GT 520M

AMD

Radeon HD 2900 GT

2013Core: 725 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

2013Core: 941 MHzBoost: 967 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is positioned at rank 661 and the GeForce GT 520M is on rank 253, so the GeForce GT 520M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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 HD 2900 GT

#651
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
6312%
#653
5722%
#654
5707%
#658
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
5190%
#659
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
5154%
#661
Radeon HD 2900 GT
MSRP: $170|Avg: $15
100%
#662
Radeon HD 8280E
MSRP: $150|Avg: $110
99%
#663
Mobility Radeon HD 2600
MSRP: $100|Avg: $30
98%
#664
Radeon R5 M420
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
98%
#665
Radeon HD 8550G + 8690M Dual
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
97%
#666
Radeon HD 2900 XT
MSRP: $399|Avg: $20
96%
#667
Mobility Radeon 4100
MSRP: $49|Avg: $49
96%
#668
GeForce 9700M GT
MSRP: $200|Avg: $40
95%
#669
GeForce 9300 SE
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
95%
#670
Mobility Radeon X2500
MSRP: $50|Avg: $15
95%
#671
GeForce 9800M GTX
MSRP: $300|Avg: $30
88%
#672
Radeon HD 7520G + 8750M Dual
MSRP: $250|Avg: $57
88%
#673
87%
#674
GeForce 505
MSRP: $99|Avg: $15
84%
#675
GeForce 9200M GE
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
84%
#676
Mobility Radeon. HD 5470
MSRP: $150|Avg: $25
83%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 520M

#243
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
574%
#245
520%
#246
519%
#250
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
472%
#251
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
468%
#253
GeForce GT 520M
MSRP: $60|Avg: N/A
100%
#254
100%
#257
GeForce GTX 770M SLI
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80
99%
#262
GeForce 945A
MSRP: $100|Avg: $25
98%
#263
Intel UHD Graphics P630
MSRP: $100|Avg: $50
98%
#264
Radeon HD 8970M Crossfire
MSRP: $300|Avg: $75
97%
#265
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 2900 GT is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GT 520M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

InsightRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
Performance
Leading raw performance (+2.8%)
Lower raw frame rates (-2.8%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 2900 GT offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 2900 GT holds the technical lead. Priced at $15 (vs $60), it costs 75% less, resulting in a 311.3% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+311.3%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($15)
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($60)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 2900 GT and GeForce GT 520M

AMD

Radeon HD 2900 GT

The Radeon HD 2900 GT 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: 292 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 520M

The GeForce GT 520M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 9 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 941 MHz to 967 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 284 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 2900 GT scores 292 and the GeForce GT 520M reaches 284 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is built on TeraScale 2 while the GeForce GT 520M uses Kepler, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 384 (GeForce GT 520M). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 0.7427 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 520M).

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
G3D Mark Score
292+3%
284
Architecture
TeraScale 2
Kepler
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
480+25%
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.696 TFLOPS
0.7427 TFLOPS+7%
ROPs
8
16+100%
TMUs
24
32+33%
L1 Cache
48 KB+50%
32 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
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 HD 2900 GT comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 520M has 1 GB. The GeForce GT 520M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 520M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
DirectX
10
11.0+10%
Max Displays
2+100%
1
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: UVD (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs No (GeForce GT 520M). Decoder: UVD vs PureVideo HD VP4.

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
Encoder
UVD
No
Decoder
UVD
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 2900 GT draws 25W versus the GeForce GT 520M's 50W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 350W (GeForce GT 520M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
TDP
25W-50%
50W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
241mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
11.7+105%
5.7
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 2900 GT launched at $170 MSRP and currently averages $15, while the GeForce GT 520M launched at $60.

FeatureRadeon HD 2900 GTGeForce GT 520M
MSRP
$170
$60-65%
Avg Price (30d)
$15
Codename
Thames
GK107
Release
January 7 2013
January 9 2013
Ranking
#883
#792