GeForce GTX 1650 vs GeForce RTX 5060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5060

2025Core: 2280 MHzBoost: 2497 MHz

Popular choices:

GTX 1650

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 145W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 241mm, a 12mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 5060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 52.8 vs 69.7 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 5060

2025

Why buy it

  • 145.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 32% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 69.7 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Blackwell 2.0 (2025−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 93.3% higher power demand at 145W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 5060 better than GeForce GTX 1650?
Yes. GeForce RTX 5060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 5060 averages 145.8% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,836 vs 7,869 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 5060 is a 2025 card with DLSS 4 + Multi Frame Gen, while GeForce GTX 1650 is a 2019 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 5060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2019, 164.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 5060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 5060 is about 100.7% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and you are getting 145.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 164.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 32%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is GeForce GTX 1650 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $149 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 5060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
1080p
low94 FPS176 FPS
medium83 FPS161 FPS
high70 FPS141 FPS
ultra58 FPS123 FPS
1440p
low87 FPS141 FPS
medium74 FPS117 FPS
high60 FPS101 FPS
ultra50 FPS93 FPS
4K
low41 FPS92 FPS
medium39 FPS78 FPS
high27 FPS66 FPS
ultra24 FPS59 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
1080p
low136 FPS378 FPS
medium113 FPS322 FPS
high94 FPS256 FPS
ultra71 FPS205 FPS
1440p
low79 FPS237 FPS
medium62 FPS206 FPS
high44 FPS166 FPS
ultra35 FPS134 FPS
4K
low36 FPS117 FPS
medium27 FPS97 FPS
high21 FPS80 FPS
ultra15 FPS62 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
1080p
low323 FPS835 FPS
medium283 FPS676 FPS
high205 FPS594 FPS
ultra169 FPS469 FPS
1440p
low225 FPS639 FPS
medium202 FPS516 FPS
high151 FPS443 FPS
ultra117 FPS352 FPS
4K
low130 FPS422 FPS
medium117 FPS339 FPS
high79 FPS289 FPS
ultra50 FPS234 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
1080p
low261 FPS743 FPS
medium211 FPS608 FPS
high191 FPS532 FPS
ultra166 FPS469 FPS
1440p
low201 FPS600 FPS
medium158 FPS490 FPS
high135 FPS424 FPS
ultra113 FPS352 FPS
4K
low99 FPS362 FPS
medium74 FPS310 FPS
high65 FPS287 FPS
ultra51 FPS234 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1650 and GeForce RTX 5060

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 5060

The GeForce RTX 5060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 19 2025. It features the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2280 MHz to 2497 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 145W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,836 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the GeForce RTX 5060's 20,836 — the GeForce RTX 5060 leads by 164.8%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the GeForce RTX 5060 uses Blackwell 2.0, both on 12 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 3,840 (GeForce RTX 5060). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 19.18 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 5060). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 2497 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
G3D Mark Score
7,869
20,836+165%
Architecture
Turing
Blackwell 2.0
Process Node
12 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
896
3840+329%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS
19.18 TFLOPS+543%
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
2497 MHz+50%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
56
120+114%
L1 Cache
0.88 MB
3.8 MB+332%
L2 Cache
1 MB
32 MB+3100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 5060 is support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 1650 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 5060 supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 1650 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1650 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 5060 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 5060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 5060) — a 250% advantage for the GeForce RTX 5060. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 5060) — the GeForce RTX 5060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR7
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s
448 GB/s+250%
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
32 MB+3100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 5060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
DirectX
12
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.4
1.4
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
4+33%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs NVENC 9th gen (GeForce RTX 5060). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs NVDEC 6th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 5060).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
NVENC 9th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
NVDEC 6th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the GeForce RTX 5060's 145W — a 63.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 5060). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 65°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
TDP
75W-48%
145W
Recommended PSU
300W-33%
450W
Power Connector
None
8-pin
Length
229mm
241mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
65°C-7%
Perf/Watt
104.9
143.7+37%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 5060 launched at $299. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 50.2% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 69.7 (GeForce RTX 5060) — the GeForce RTX 5060 offers 32% better value. The GeForce RTX 5060 is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650GeForce RTX 5060
MSRP
$149-50%
$299
Performance per Dollar
52.8
69.7+32%
Codename
TU117
GB206
Release
April 23 2019
May 19 2025
Ranking
#323
#69