Radeon R5 420 vs GeForce GTS 250
Radeon R5 420
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GeForce GTS 250
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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 R5 420 is positioned at rank 175 and the GeForce GTS 250 is on rank 246, so the Radeon R5 420 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon R5 420
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTS 250
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon R5 420 is significantly newer (2017 vs 2010). The Radeon R5 420 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTS 250 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R5 420 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTS 250 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.1%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2010 / Fermi (2010−2014)) |
| 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 R5 420 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R5 420 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $20), it costs 0% less, resulting in a 1.1% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+1.1%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 R5 420 and GeForce GTS 250
Radeon R5 420
The Radeon R5 420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $79.
GeForce GTS 250
The GeForce GTS 250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 569 points. Launch price was $129.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R5 420 scores 575 and the GeForce GTS 250 reaches 569 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R5 420 is built on GCN 4.0 while the GeForce GTS 250 uses Fermi, both on 14 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon R5 420) vs 192 (GeForce GTS 250). Raw compute: 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 420) vs 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250).
| Feature | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 575+1% | 569 |
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Fermi |
| Process Node | 14 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 384+100% | 192 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.9085 TFLOPS+51% | 0.6013 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 24 | 32+33% |
| L1 Cache | 96 KB | 256 KB+167% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 R5 420 comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTS 250 has 1 GB. The GeForce GTS 250 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R5 420) vs 256 KB (GeForce GTS 250) — the Radeon R5 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 1 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB+100% | 256 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R5 420 draws 50W versus the GeForce GTS 250's 106W — a 71.8% difference. The Radeon R5 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R5 420) vs 450W (GeForce GTS 250). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W-53% | 106W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-22% | 450W |
| Power Connector | None | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | — | 229mm |
| Height | — | 111mm |
| Slots | — | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 90°C |
| Perf/Watt | 11.5+113% | 5.4 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R5 420 launched at $80 MSRP and currently averages $20, while the GeForce GTS 250 launched at $129 and now averages $20. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 28.8 (Radeon R5 420) vs 28.4 (GeForce GTS 250) — the Radeon R5 420 offers 1.4% better value. The Radeon R5 420 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2010).
| Feature | Radeon R5 420 | GeForce GTS 250 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $80-38% | $129 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20 | $20 |
| Performance per Dollar | 28.8+1% | 28.4 |
| Codename | Lexa | GF106 |
| Release | April 20 2017 | September 13 2010 |
| Ranking | #773 | #791 |
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