Radeon HD 8490 vs GeForce 9650M GS
Radeon HD 8490
Popular choices:
GeForce 9650M GS
Popular choices:
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 8490 is positioned at rank 294 and the GeForce 9650M GS is on rank 680, so the Radeon HD 8490 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 8490
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 9650M GS
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce 9650M GS is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 8490 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / Kepler (2012−2018)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The GeForce 9650M GS offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce 9650M GS holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $35), it costs 43% less, resulting in a 79.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+79.7%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($35) | ✅More affordable ($20) |
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 8490 and GeForce 9650M GS
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.
GeForce 9650M GS
The GeForce 9650M GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 790 MHz to 835 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 270 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 8490 scores 263 and the GeForce 9650M GS reaches 270 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8490 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce 9650M GS uses Kepler, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 768 (GeForce 9650M GS).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 263 | 270+3% |
| Architecture | TeraScale | Kepler |
| Process Node | 55 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 800+4% | 768 |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| 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 8490 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce 9650M GS has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 8490 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 64-bit | 128-bit+100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce 9650M GS). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 | 11.1 (10_0) |
| OpenGL | 4.4+33% | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs No NVENC (G84) (GeForce 9650M GS). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs PureVideo HD VP2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8490) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9 (GeForce 9650M GS).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD 3.1 | No NVENC (G84) |
| Decoder | UVD 3.1 | PureVideo HD VP2 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,WMV9 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 8490 draws 190W versus the GeForce 9650M GS's 30W — a 145.5% difference. The GeForce 9650M GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8490) vs 350W (GeForce 9650M GS). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Legacy.
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 190W | 30W-84% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | Legacy |
| Length | 168mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | — | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 1.4 | 9.0+543% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99 MSRP and currently averages $35, while the GeForce 9650M GS launched at $199 and now averages $20. The GeForce 9650M GS costs 42.9% less ($15 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 7.5 (Radeon HD 8490) vs 13.5 (GeForce 9650M GS) — the GeForce 9650M GS offers 80% better value. The GeForce 9650M GS is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 8490 | GeForce 9650M GS |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $99-50% | $199 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $35 | $20-43% |
| Performance per Dollar | 7.5 | 13.5+80% |
| Codename | RV790 | N13E-GE |
| Release | April 2 2009 | March 22 2012 |
| Ranking | #762 | #690 |
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The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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