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

✅+28.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 97.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 380X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 380X is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 250W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅Measures 221mm instead of 229mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,131 vs 7,869).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
53.7% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌233.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅+28.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 97.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 380X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 380X is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 250W, a 175W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Measures 221mm instead of 229mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,131 vs 7,869).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
53.7% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌233.3% higher power demand at 250W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1650 better than Radeon R9 380X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 28.3% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2019 instead of 2015, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1650 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015, 28.3% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 12nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1650 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1650 is about $80 cheaper on MSRP at $149 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 28.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 97.3%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon R9 380X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 380X 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 $229 MSRP, even if GeForce GTX 1650 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.

GeForce GTX 1650 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 380X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	94 FPS	78 FPS
medium	83 FPS	67 FPS
high	70 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	68 FPS
medium	74 FPS	60 FPS
high	60 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	25 FPS
medium	39 FPS	23 FPS
high	27 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon R9 380X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	136 FPS	133 FPS
medium	113 FPS	105 FPS
high	94 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	61 FPS
1440p
low	79 FPS	78 FPS
medium	62 FPS	58 FPS
high	44 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	31 FPS
medium	27 FPS	23 FPS
high	21 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon R9 380X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	323 FPS	276 FPS
medium	283 FPS	221 FPS
high	205 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	138 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	207 FPS
medium	202 FPS	166 FPS
high	151 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	103 FPS
4K
low	130 FPS	138 FPS
medium	117 FPS	110 FPS
high	79 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	69 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon R9 380X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	261 FPS	135 FPS
medium	211 FPS	112 FPS
high	191 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	201 FPS	100 FPS
medium	158 FPS	83 FPS
high	135 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	99 FPS	60 FPS
medium	74 FPS	47 FPS
high	65 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon R9 380X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1650 and Radeon R9 380X

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.

Radeon R9 380X

The Radeon R9 380X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,131 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon R9 380X's 6,131 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 28.3%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon R9 380X uses GCN 3.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 380X). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 3.973 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380X). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
G3D Mark Score	7,869+28%	6,131
Architecture	Turing	GCN 3.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	896	2048+129%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.984 TFLOPS	3.973 TFLOPS+33%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+72%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	128+129%
L1 Cache	896 KB+75%	512 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1650 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 380X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 106 GB/s (Radeon R9 380X) — a 20.8% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1650. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s+21%	106 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 380X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
DirectX	12	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 380X). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1 (Radeon R9 380X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
Encoder	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)	VCE 3.0
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 380X's 250W — a 107.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380X). Power connectors: None vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 221mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon R9 380X
TDP	75W-70%	250W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	2x 6-pin
Length	229mm	221mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-7%	75
Perf/Watt	104.9+328%	24.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380X launched at $229. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 34.9% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 26.8 (Radeon R9 380X) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 97% better value. The GeForce GTX 1650 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2015).