NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GT 520M Specifications
GeForce GT 520M GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
GT 520M Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GT 520M's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce GT 520M by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GT 520M Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GT 520M's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce GT 520M by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GT 520M, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
GT 520M Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Fermi Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M is built on NVIDIA's Fermi architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the GT 520M will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GT 520M Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce GT 520M to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GT 520M by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce GT 520M Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce GT 520M by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GT 520M Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby PerformersAbout NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M
NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 520M is an end-of-life mobile graphics solution built on the 40 nm Fermi architecture, featuring the GF108 chip with 585 million transistors on a 116 mm² die. Its benchmark standing is remarkably low, a 6th percentile ranking among all GPUs, yet the data places it within a narrow performance cluster, trailing the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB by just 0.3%, the GeForce 930MX by 0.9%, the AMD Radeon R9 380 by 1.6%, and the Quadro RTX 3000 Mobile by 2.2%. This paradox of near-identical scores across vastly different product generations defines its analytical profile.
Memory Subsystem
The GT 520M ships with 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s. This is a severely constrained configuration by any modern standard. The memory clock is listed at 900 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1800 Mbps. For high-resolution workloads, the data is unequivocal: a 64-bit interface paired with DDR3 cannot sustain the data throughput required for 1440p or 4K textures. The 1 GB capacity is equally limiting, modern game assets routinely exceed this, forcing constant swapping to system memory.
Benchmark results indicate that this memory subsystem directly caps the GPU’s overall output. The pixel rate of 1.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 4.800 GTexel/s are consistent with a part designed for low-resolution, low-detail scenarios. At 1080p, the GT 520M will struggle with even modest settings, as the 14.40 GB/s bandwidth becomes a bottleneck before the 48 shading units are fully utilized. For users targeting legacy 1366x768 laptop panels, the memory configuration is barely adequate, but any upward resolution scaling will expose its deficiencies immediately.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GT 520M has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, these hardware units are absent from the Fermi architecture. Its feature set is limited to what the base silicon provides: 48 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs. The API support, however, is more generous than the hardware suggests. DirectX 12 (11_0) is listed as the maximum version, meaning the card can run DirectX 12 titles only at their 11_0 feature level, not the full 12_0 or 12_1 feature sets. OpenGL 4.6 is supported, which covers many older and indie titles.
Vulkan is explicitly null in the data, so no Vulkan-based games or applications will function. This is a critical omission for any modern workload. Ray tracing, in any form, is impossible, neither hardware-accelerated nor via compute shaders is viable given the lack of RT cores and the low FP32 throughput of 115.2 GFLOPS. The GeForce 500M generation predates any RTX functionality, and the data confirms no tensor core presence for AI-based upscaling or denoising. Users must rely entirely on rasterization for visual output, with no path for future feature updates.
Power and Cooling
The GT 520M has a thermal design power (TDP) of just 12 W, making it one of the lowest-power discrete GPUs in the database. This figure is exceptionally low, which directly informs its cooling requirements: the slot width is listed as "IGP" (integrated graphics processor), implying it is designed for soldered, low-profile integration into laptops rather than a standalone card. There are no power connectors required, the card draws all its power from the motherboard or notebook board, and no suggested PSU is listed because none is applicable.
For a system builder, this means no additional power cabling is necessary. The PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface provides both data and power, and the 12 W draw is well within the slot’s capacity. Thermal management is trivial; a basic heat sink or even a thin heat pipe in a laptop chassis suffices. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is January 4, 2011, so this is a legacy part. Its low power envelope is its only redeeming physical characteristic, enabling silent operation in thin-and-light designs, but that advantage is moot given its performance tier.
FAQ
Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the GT 520M?
A: The memory bandwidth is 14.40 GB/s, derived from 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus running at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).
Q: Can the GT 520M handle DirectX 12 Ultimate games?
A: No. The maximum DirectX support is 12 (11_0), which only covers the 11_0 feature level. Full DirectX 12 Ultimate features, such as ray tracing and mesh shaders, are not available.
Q: Does this GPU support Vulkan?
A: No. The Vulkan API field is null, meaning the GT 520M has no Vulkan driver support. Only DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 are available.
Q: How much power does the GT 520M draw?
A: The TDP is 12 W. It requires no power connectors and uses the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot for all power delivery.
Q: What is the GT 520M’s benchmark score relative to newer GPUs?
A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 1313. This is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (1309) and 2.2% higher than the Quadro RTX 3000 Mobile (1285), despite those being far more advanced parts.
Q: Is the GT 520M suitable for 4K gaming?
A: No. With a 64-bit memory bus and 14.40 GB/s bandwidth, the data shows it cannot sustain the texture load of 4K. Its pixel rate of 1.200 GPixel/s is far too low for high-resolution output.
Who Should Consider It
The GT 520M is not a candidate for any modern gaming workload. Its 6th percentile ranking places it in the bottom tier of all GPUs, and the benchmark data confirms it is only marginally faster than integrated solutions from a decade ago. For 720p gaming at low settings, the 48 shading units and 4 ROPs might handle esports titles from the early 2010s, but even then, the 14.40 GB/s bandwidth will cause frame hitches. The 115.2 GFLOPS FP32 throughput is insufficient for any physics-heavy or shader-intensive game released after 2015.
The only audience for this part is someone maintaining a legacy laptop where the GT 520M is already soldered in. At 1366x768 with all settings at minimum, older DirectX 9 and 10 titles may achieve playable frame rates. There is no scenario where this GPU is a rational purchase choice, its end-of-life status and lack of Vulkan support make it obsolete for current software. The 1 GB VRAM is barely enough for a Windows desktop at 1080p, and the 64-bit bus ensures any texture-heavy application will stutter.
How It Compares
NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB: The GT 520M scores 1313 versus the A2000’s 1309, a 0.3% delta. This is statistically negligible, yet the A2000 is a professional workstation GPU with 12 GB VRAM. The score parity reflects the Geekbench OpenCL test’s insensitivity to memory bandwidth and core count, not real-world equivalence. The GT 520M wins this specific benchmark, but loses catastrophically in any practical workload.
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX: A 0.9% gap (1313 vs 1302) places the GT 520M narrowly ahead. The 930MX is a low-end mobile part from a later generation, but the data shows they are performance equals in this synthetic test. Neither can run modern games, but the 930MX likely has better driver support and lower power draw per frame.
AMD Radeon R9 380: The GT 520M leads by 1.6% (1313 vs 1293). The R9 380 is a desktop mid-range card from 2015, yet the OpenCL score is nearly identical. This is a clear indication that the benchmark rewards raw FP32 compute in a narrow pattern, not sustained gaming performance. The R9 380’s superior memory subsystem and rasterization throughput are invisible to this test.
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 Mobile: The delta is 2.2% (1313 vs 1285), favoring the GT 520M. The Quadro is a mobile workstation GPU with RT and tensor cores, but those features do not affect the OpenCL score. This comparison highlights the danger of relying solely on aggregate benchmarks without considering architecture and feature set.
Benchmark Performance
The Geekbench OpenCL score of 1313 places the GT 520M in the 6th percentile of all GPUs, meaning 94% of tested parts score higher. The nearest rival, the RTX A2000 12 GB, scores 1309, a delta of 0.3%. This is within run-to-run variance, so the data shows them as effectively tied in this metric. The GeForce 930MX follows at 1302, a 0.9% deficit, while the AMD Radeon R9 380 scores 1293, 1.6% lower. The Quadro RTX 3000 Mobile trails at 1285, a 2.2% gap.
These deltas are misleading. The GT 520M’s 115.2 GFLOPS FP32 output is the primary driver of its OpenCL score, and this compute capability is disproportionately high relative to its memory bandwidth and texture throughput. The rivals all have vastly superior memory architectures, the A2000’s 12 GB GDDR6 versus the GT 520M’s 1 GB DDR3, but the benchmark does not stress memory. In real gaming, the GT 520M would be 10-50x slower than the A2000, but the data only shows a 0.3% difference. This underscores that the GT 520M’s benchmark score is a computational curiosity, not a measure of usable performance. The 4.800 GTexel/s texture rate and 1.200 GPixel/s pixel rate are the true performance ceilings, and they are catastrophic by modern standards.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GT 520M
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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