AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Comparison
AMD Radeon Vega 3
GeForce GTX 650
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650
The Verdict
The data presents a split decision. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins the Geekbench Metal test by a decisive 103.3%, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 takes both the OpenCL and Vulkan tests with 12.8% and 12.4% leads respectively. The overall average benchmark score favors the AMD part at 4268 versus 3823 for the NVIDIA card, a gap of roughly 11.6%. However, this average is heavily weighted by the Metal result, which reflects a specific API workload rather than general compute performance.
For users prioritizing Metal-based applications, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the clear choice, as its 4880 Metal score dwarfs the GTX 650's 2400. For those working in OpenCL or Vulkan environments, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 is superior, posting 4545 and 4524 respectively against 3963 and 3961 for the AMD. The percentile ranking also tells a story: the Vega 3 sits at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 650 sits at the 22nd, meaning the AMD part edges out the NVIDIA in overall standing despite losing two of three direct comparisons.
The verdict depends entirely on the software environment. The GTX 650 is the more consistent compute performer in two of three major APIs, while the Vega 3 is a specialized winner in Metal. Neither card is modern by any measure, both are end-of-life products, and the choice should be dictated by the specific API used in the target applications.
Architecture Differences
The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with a chip codenamed Picasso. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 uses the older Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process from TSMC, with the GK106 chip. The process node difference is significant: 12 nm versus 28 nm, which partly explains why the AMD chip packs 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, while the NVIDIA chip contains 2,540 million transistors on a slightly larger 221 mm² die. Transistor density tells the story clearly: 23.5 million per mm² for the AMD versus 11.5 million per mm² for the NVIDIA.
The Vega 3 is an integrated graphics processor, with system-shared memory and no dedicated VRAM, while the GTX 650 is a discrete single-slot card with 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. This gives the NVIDIA card a fixed 80.00 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the AMD part's bandwidth is system dependent. The AMD IGP has 192 shading units, 12 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs. The GTX 650 has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, exactly double in each category. This explains the raw throughput differences: the NVIDIA card delivers 8.464 GPixel/s pixel rate and 33.86 GTexel/s texture rate, against 4.400 GPixel/s and 13.20 GTexel/s for the AMD.
The Vega 3's clock behavior is different too, with a 300 MHz base and 1100 MHz boost, while the GTX 650 has no listed base or boost clocks but runs its memory at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective. The AMD IGP supports FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the NVIDIA card has no FP16 capability listed. FP32 performance favors the NVIDIA card at 812.5 GFLOPS versus 422.4 GFLOPS for the AMD. The power envelope is vastly different: the Vega 3 is rated at 15 W with no power connectors, while the GTX 650 draws 65 W and requires a single 6-pin connector with a 250 W suggested PSU. API support also differs, with the AMD offering DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA offers DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The Geekbench Metal test is the single largest victory in this comparison. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 4880 against 2400 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650, a 103.3% advantage. This is more than double the score, and it is the only benchmark where the AMD part wins. The margin is so large that it completely flips the average score narrative, even though the NVIDIA card wins the other two tests.
The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the NVIDIA card ahead with 4545 versus 3963 for the AMD, a 12.8% lead. The Vulkan test is nearly identical in outcome, with the GTX 650 scoring 4524 against 3961 for the Vega 3, a 12.4% advantage. Both of these wins are consistent and moderate in size, suggesting that the GTX 650 has a genuine compute advantage in these APIs rather than a one-off result.
The average benchmark scores reflect this split: the AMD card averages 4268 across its three tests, while the NVIDIA card averages 3823. The AMD's average is inflated by the exceptional Metal score, while the NVIDIA's average is dragged down by its poor Metal showing. The nearest rival data places the Vega 3 within a narrow band of competitors: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is 0.3% behind at 4282, the AMD FirePro W2100 is 0.6% behind at 4295, the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M is 0.6% ahead at 4241, and even the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 appears at 4335, only 1.5% ahead. The GTX 650's rivals are similarly tight: the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 is 0.3% behind at 3834, the Intel UHD Graphics 710 is 0.8% ahead at 3792, the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is 1.5% behind at 3883, and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 is 1.9% behind at 3898.
The data indicates that in the OpenCL and Vulkan tests, the GTX 650 performs within a few percentage points of its closest competitors, while the Vega 3's Metal result puts it in a different class entirely for that specific workload.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?
A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has an average benchmark score of 4268, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650's 3823. This is largely due to the Vega 3's dominant Metal score.
Q: Why does the AMD Radeon Vega 3 win the Metal test by so much?
A: The Vega 3 scores 4880 in Geekbench Metal, which is 103.3% higher than the GTX 650's 2400. The AMD architecture appears to handle Metal workloads significantly better, though the database does not specify the technical reason for this advantage.
Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 better in any benchmark?
A: Yes, the GTX 650 wins Geekbench OpenCL with 4545 versus 3963 (12.8% lead) and Geekbench Vulkan with 4524 versus 3961 (12.4% lead). Both wins are consistent and moderate in size.
Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?
A: The Vega 3 sits within 1.5% of its nearest rivals, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 at 4335 being the closest above it at 1.5% ahead. The GTX 650 sits within 1.9% of its nearest rivals, with the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 at 3898 being the furthest at 1.9% ahead.
Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?
A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is an IGP rated at 15 W with no power connectors needed. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 is a discrete card rated at 65 W, requiring a single 6-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 250 W.
Q: Which GPU has better API support?
A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD part has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.
Where Each One Wins
The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the pick for Metal-centric workflows. Its 4880 Metal score is more than double the GTX 650's 2400, and this is the only test where the AMD part demonstrates clear superiority. The Vega 3 also offers a much lower power draw at 15 W versus 65 W, which matters for systems with limited thermal or power headroom. The integrated nature of the Vega 3 means no additional power connectors are needed, and the system-shared memory architecture is flexible, though bandwidth is system dependent. The newer 12 nm process and higher transistor density suggest a more modern design, and the Vulkan 1.3 support is ahead of the NVIDIA card's 1.2.175.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 wins the compute-heavy tests that most general-purpose applications use. Its OpenCL score of 4545 and Vulkan score of 4524 both beat the Vega 3 by over 12%. The dedicated 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a fixed 80.00 GB/s bandwidth, which is a predictable and consistent resource compared to the Vega 3's system-dependent memory. The GTX 650 also has double the shading units, TMUs, and ROPs of the Vega 3, along with higher pixel and texture rates and nearly double the FP32 throughput at 812.5 GFLOPS. For users running OpenCL or Vulkan applications, the GTX 650 is the more capable part.
The production timelines also differ: the Vega 3 was released in November 2019, while the GTX 650 was released in November 2013, a six-year gap. The Vega 3's predecessor is GCN 3.0 IGP and its successor is Vega II IGP, while the GTX 650's predecessor is GeForce 500 and its successor is GeForce 700. Both are end-of-life products, but the AMD part is from a later generation with a different feature set.
Specification Differences
The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC. The Vega 3 has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the GTX 650 has 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die. Transistor density is 23.5M per mm² for the AMD and 11.5M per mm² for the NVIDIA.
Clock speeds differ in structure: the Vega 3 has a 300 MHz base and 1100 MHz boost, while the GTX 650 has no base or boost clocks listed but runs memory at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective. Memory configurations are entirely different: the Vega 3 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, while the GTX 650 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 80.00 GB/s bandwidth.
The compute unit counts are doubled on the NVIDIA side: 384 shading units versus 192, 32 TMUs versus 12, and 16 ROPs versus 4. Pixel rate is 8.464 GPixel/s for the GTX 650 versus 4.400 GPixel/s for the Vega 3. Texture rate is 33.86 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 812.5 GFLOPS versus 422.4 GFLOPS, while FP16 is only listed for the AMD at 844.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio.
Power and physical specifications diverge sharply: the Vega 3 is a 15 W IGP with no power connectors, while the GTX 650 is a 65 W single-slot card with a 1x 6-pin connector and a 250 W suggested PSU. The bus interface is IGP for the AMD and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the NVIDIA. Display outputs are motherboard dependent for the Vega 3, while the GTX 650 offers 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2. The GTX 650 has a physical length of 147 mm (5.8 inches), while the Vega 3 has no dimensions listed. API support differs with DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_0), Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.2.175, and shared OpenGL 4.6 support.