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 $80 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 41.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon RX 480: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon RX 480 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 240mm, a 11mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,869 vs 8,546).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅+8.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
53.7% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 41.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon RX 480: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon RX 480 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 240mm, a 11mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅+8.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,869 vs 8,546).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
53.7% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 480 better than GeForce GTX 1650?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,869 vs 8,546 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 480 is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

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 2016, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 12nm process instead of 14nm. 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?

Radeon RX 480 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 480 is about 53.7% more expensive on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and you are getting 8.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1650 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 1650 make more sense than Radeon RX 480?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (75W vs 150W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $149 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon RX 480. The trade-off is that Radeon RX 480 currently gives you 8.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1650 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 RX 480 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	94 FPS	134 FPS
medium	83 FPS	113 FPS
high	70 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	58 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	114 FPS
medium	74 FPS	96 FPS
high	60 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	42 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	39 FPS
medium	39 FPS	36 FPS
high	27 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 480

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	136 FPS	156 FPS
medium	113 FPS	135 FPS
high	94 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	79 FPS	91 FPS
medium	62 FPS	71 FPS
high	44 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	44 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	37 FPS
medium	27 FPS	29 FPS
high	21 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 480

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	323 FPS	385 FPS
medium	283 FPS	308 FPS
high	205 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	288 FPS
medium	202 FPS	231 FPS
high	151 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	144 FPS
4K
low	130 FPS	192 FPS
medium	117 FPS	154 FPS
high	79 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	96 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 480

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
1080p
low	261 FPS	290 FPS
medium	211 FPS	252 FPS
high	191 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	201 FPS	213 FPS
medium	158 FPS	190 FPS
high	135 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	99 FPS	120 FPS
medium	74 FPS	98 FPS
high	65 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 480

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1650 and Radeon RX 480

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 RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon RX 480's 8,546 — the Radeon RX 480 leads by 8.6%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0, both on 12 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 480). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1266 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
G3D Mark Score	7,869	8,546+9%
Architecture	Turing	GCN 4.0
Process Node	12 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	896	2304+157%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.984 TFLOPS	5.834 TFLOPS+96%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+32%	1266 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	144+157%
L1 Cache	896 KB+56%	576 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

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 RX 480 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
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)

The GeForce GTX 1650 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 480 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 480) — the Radeon RX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	256 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 480). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
DirectX	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 3.4 (Radeon RX 480). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
Encoder	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon RX 480's 150W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 500W (Radeon RX 480). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 480
TDP	75W-50%	150W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	229mm	240mm
Height	111mm	95mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-18%	85°C
Perf/Watt	104.9+84%	57.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 480 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 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 41.6% better value. The GeForce GTX 1650 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).