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 $50 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 107W, a 32W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6500 XT across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌33.1% longer card at 229mm vs 172mm.

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

✅3.3% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 172mm instead of 229mm, a 57mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌
33.6% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌42.7% higher power demand at 107W vs 75W.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Radeon RX 6500 XT

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 107W, a 32W reduction.

Why buy it

✅3.3% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Measures 172mm instead of 229mm, a 57mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6500 XT across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌33.1% longer card at 229mm vs 172mm.

Trade-offs

❌
33.6% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌42.7% higher power demand at 107W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 6500 XT better than GeForce GTX 1650?

Yes. Radeon RX 6500 XT is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 6500 XT averages 3.3% more FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 9,603 vs 7,869 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 6500 XT is a 2022 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, 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?

Radeon RX 6500 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2019, 22.0% more raw performance headroom, better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 6nm process instead of 12nm. 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 easier to justify on price alone at $149 MSRP, but Radeon RX 6500 XT is still the stronger gaming card overall. Radeon RX 6500 XT is about 33.6% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and you are getting 3.3% more estimated average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data and 22.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1650 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium. Go with Radeon RX 6500 XT if you want the better experience; go with GeForce GTX 1650 if keeping cost down matters more than squeezing out the highest performance.

Is GeForce GTX 1650 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is still a very good gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Around $149 MSRP, it makes sense if you would rather save money than pay about 33.6% more for the extra performance. If you have more room in the budget, Radeon RX 6500 XT is still the safer long-term pick.

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 6500 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	94 FPS	107 FPS
medium	83 FPS	94 FPS
high	70 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	67 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	95 FPS
medium	74 FPS	80 FPS
high	60 FPS	67 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	47 FPS
medium	39 FPS	44 FPS
high	27 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	29 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	136 FPS	184 FPS
medium	113 FPS	143 FPS
high	94 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	69 FPS
1440p
low	79 FPS	119 FPS
medium	62 FPS	92 FPS
high	44 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	48 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	58 FPS
medium	27 FPS	45 FPS
high	21 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	323 FPS	359 FPS
medium	283 FPS	315 FPS
high	205 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	291 FPS
medium	202 FPS	257 FPS
high	151 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	130 FPS	166 FPS
medium	117 FPS	145 FPS
high	79 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	70 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
1080p
low	261 FPS	325 FPS
medium	211 FPS	251 FPS
high	191 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	201 FPS	231 FPS
medium	158 FPS	173 FPS
high	135 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	99 FPS	115 FPS
medium	74 FPS	87 FPS
high	65 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1650 Open Radeon RX 6500 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1650 and Radeon RX 6500 XT

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 6500 XT

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2610 MHz to 2815 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 107W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,603 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 9,603 — the Radeon RX 6500 XT leads by 22%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 12 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 5.765 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 2815 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
G3D Mark Score	7,869	9,603+22%
Architecture	Turing	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	12 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	896	1024+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.984 TFLOPS	5.765 TFLOPS+93%
Boost Clock	1665 MHz	2815 MHz+69%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	64+14%
L1 Cache	896 KB+250%	256 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 GTX 1650 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 6500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — a 12.5% advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 XT. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	128 GB/s	144 GB/s+13%
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
DirectX	12	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3+50%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs None (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs VCN 3.0 (Limited). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode) (Radeon RX 6500 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
Encoder	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)	None
Decoder	NVDEC 4th gen	VCN 3.0 (Limited)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264 (Decode),HEVC (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon RX 6500 XT's 107W — a 35.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500 XT). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1650	Radeon RX 6500 XT
TDP	75W-30%	107W
Recommended PSU	300W-25%	400W
Power Connector	None	1x 6-pin
Length	229mm	172mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	70°C	70°C
Perf/Watt	104.9+17%	89.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT launched at $199. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 25.1% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX 6500 XT) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 9.3% better value. The Radeon RX 6500 XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2019).