H2H

GeForce 8800 GS vs GeForce 8500 GT

Full comparison of specs, performance and benchmarks

Aggregate performance score

We've compared 8800 GS and 8500 GT across specs and all relevant benchmarks.

8800 GS outperforms 8500 GT by 5% based on our aggregate benchmark results.+5%

Scores are normalized on the Head to Head scale. Higher is better.
QUICK COMPARISON ANALYSIS

GeForce 8800 GS vs GeForce 8500 GT: key takeaway

The comparison of 8800 GS and 8500 GT shows a 5% advantage for 8800 GS in gaming performance, while 8500 GT may still be stronger in efficiency and feature set. Use the sections below to check whether that lead comes from real FPS, specifications, efficiency, price or platform features.

SUMMARY PROFILE

Verified-metrics radar

Axes with missing data are hidden; every value uses a fixed scale.

H2H
Performance
Efficiency
Price / performance
Memory capacity
Performance
4341
Efficiency
100100
Price / performance
100100
Memory capacity
177
Missing values are never replaced with zero or an average.Model: H2H 2026.07 fixed scale.
COMPARISON RESULT

8800 GS is the best overall choice

8800 GS leads in combined game performance. 8800 GS offers the better price per frame, while the final choice depends on the required features, memory, and games.

PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE3%

8800 GS leads in the combined performance index

PRICE DIFFERENCE$0

Prices are identical

CATALOG POSITION

Graphics card ranking

Full ranking →

The ranking is recalculated automatically from catalog data.

Positions 54–59of 317
8800 GS#56position in the GPU ranking
8500 GT#62position in the GPU ranking
COMPARISON VERDICT

Which should you choose?

Two practical conclusions based on community votes and gaming value.

COMMUNITY CHOICE

GeForce 8500 GT

157 likes

Head to Head visitors currently choose this model more often.

$/FPSBEST PRICE / FPS

GeForce 8800 GS

100/100 · Price $79

The choice is based on the price-to-performance index and launch price.

OVERALL SCORE

Overview

Scores are calculated from specifications, performance, and efficiency.

The Summary score section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Category8800 GS8500 GT
GamesDirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan performance
43Better
41
Professional applications3D modeling, video editing, and rendering
37Better
36
AI and machine learningMachine-learning and AI capabilities
35Better
34
Power efficiencyPower consumption across workloads
100
100
Head to Head scoreOverall catalog score
65Better
63
FULL COMPARISON

Specifications

The better numeric value is highlighted in green, taking the metric direction into account.

The Specifications section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specification8800 GS8500 GT
Device classDesktopDesktop
HDMI
DisplayPort
DirectX10.010.0
Vulkan
OpenGL3.33.3
TFLOPS0.264Better0.029
Power consumption105 W30 WBetter
Release date20082007
ArchitectureTeslaTesla
Memory typeGDDR3DDR2
Power connector6 pinNone
ThicknessSingle-slotSingle-slot
Upscaling
Compute APIOpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1
Launch price$79$79
Shader units / cores96Better16
Clock speed550 MHzBetter459 MHz
Base clock550 MHzBetter459 MHz
Boost clock550 MHzBetter459 MHz
VRAM768 MB GDDR3Better256 MB DDR2
Memory frequency1,9 GHz800 MHzBetter
Memory bus192 bitBetter128 bit
Memory bandwidth46 GB/s12800 GB/sBetter
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 1x16
Power consumption105 W30 WBetter
Process node65 nmBetter80 nm
Recommended PSU300 W200 WBetter
Length229 mm229 mm
Die size324 mm²127 mm²Better
Memory cacheL2 0.05 MBL2 0.03 MB
Transistor count754 millionBetter210 million
Max monitors33
Max resolution2560 × 16002560 × 1600
USB Type-CNoNo
GAME TEST BENCH

Gaming FPS

Available results are shown separately; missing data is not treated as zero.

The Gaming FPS section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT across curated H2H Lab game presets. The useful signal is not only average FPS, but also how each device behaves at 1440p and 4K, how memory capacity and bus width affect heavy textures, and whether the game engine favors raster performance, ray tracing, or driver maturity.

8800 GS8500 GT
Verified H2HCommunity VerifiedEstimatedPredicted
Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong

1080p High
26 FPSEstimated 64%
23 FPSEstimated 65%
1080p Ultra
22 FPSEstimated 64%
20 FPSEstimated 65%
1440p Ultra
12 FPSEstimated 58%
12 FPSEstimated 61%
4K Ultra
5 FPSEstimated 55%
5 FPSEstimated 57%
Game1080p High1080p Ultra1440p Ultra4K Ultra
Black Myth: Wukong8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Call of Duty: Warzone8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Counter-Strike 28800 GS216 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT196 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS152 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT138 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS85 FPSEstimated 66%8500 GT87 FPSEstimated 69%8800 GS31 FPSEstimated 62%8500 GT33 FPSEstimated 65%
Cyberpunk 20778800 GS140 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT127 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS120 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT109 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS62 FPSEstimated 66%8500 GT63 FPSEstimated 69%8800 GS21 FPSEstimated 62%8500 GT22 FPSEstimated 65%
Forza Horizon 58800 GS176 FPSEstimated 78%8500 GT160 FPSEstimated 79%8800 GS114 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT103 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS77 FPSEstimated 66%8500 GT79 FPSEstimated 69%8800 GS45 FPSEstimated 62%8500 GT48 FPSEstimated 65%
God of War Ragnarök8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Hogwarts Legacy8800 GS114 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT103 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS95 FPSEstimated 72%8500 GT86 FPSEstimated 73%8800 GS55 FPSEstimated 66%8500 GT57 FPSEstimated 69%8800 GS21 FPSEstimated 62%8500 GT22 FPSEstimated 65%
Microsoft Flight Simulator 20248800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Monster Hunter Wilds8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Starfield8800 GS26 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT23 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS22 FPSEstimated 64%8500 GT20 FPSEstimated 65%8800 GS12 FPSEstimated 58%8500 GT12 FPSEstimated 61%8800 GS5 FPSEstimated 55%8500 GT5 FPSEstimated 57%
Average FPS8800 GS80 FPS8500 GT72 FPS8800 GS61 FPS8500 GT56 FPS8800 GS35 FPS8500 GT36 FPS8800 GS15 FPS8500 GT16 FPS
HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX

H2H workload indices

Comparable internal indices on a fixed 0–100 scale.

The Benchmarks section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Index8800 GS8500 GTDifference
H2H Raster IndexH2H Index / 10043415%
H2H Compute IndexH2H Index / 10035329%
H2H Rendering IndexH2H Index / 100363115%
H2H Memory Workload IndexH2H Index / 10017783%
H2H Efficiency IndexH2H Index / 1001001000%

These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.

HEAD TO HEAD · CALCULATED INDEX

H2H AI workload indices

Estimated workload profiles based on available performance and memory data.

The Detailed comparison section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Index8800 GS8500 GTDifference
H2H Image Generation IndexH2H Index / 100312618%
H2H ML Training IndexH2H Index / 100332720%
H2H Inference IndexH2H Index / 100363115%
H2H Local LLM IndexH2H Index / 100292227%
H2H Computer Vision IndexH2H Index / 100353112%

These are versioned H2H calculated indices derived from normalized catalog data. They are not results from a third-party benchmark.

Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling

The Graphics APIs, SDKs and upscaling section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
DirectX10.010.0
Vulkan
OpenGL3.33.3
Upscaling
Compute APIOpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1OpenCL 1.1, CUDA 1.1

Architecture and release

The Architecture and release section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
ArchitectureTeslaTesla
Process node65 nmBetter80 nm
Release date20082007
Device classDesktopDesktop

GPU cores, die and clocks

The Core layout and clocks section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
Transistor count754 millionBetter210 million
Die size324 mm²127 mm²Better
Shader units / cores96Better16
Base clock550 MHzBetter459 MHz
Boost clock550 MHzBetter459 MHz

Board size, power and compatibility

The Form factor and compatibility section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
InterfacePCIe 2x16PCIe 1x16
Length229 mm229 mm
ThicknessSingle-slotSingle-slot
Recommended PSU300 W200 WBetter
Power connector6 pinNone

Display outputs and limits

The Display outputs section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
HDMI
DisplayPort
USB Type-CNoNo
Max monitors33
Max resolution2560 × 16002560 × 1600

Memory and compute throughput

The VRAM capacity and bandwidth section compares 8800 GS and 8500 GT with normalized H2H data, turning specifications, tests and value signals into practical buying context.

Specifications8800 GS8500 GT
VRAM768 MB GDDR3Better256 MB DDR2
Memory typeGDDR3DDR2
Memory bus192 bitBetter128 bit
TFLOPS0.264Better0.029
HEAD TO HEAD · DISCOVER

Other comparisons

6

Reviews and questions

AI EXPLAIN · HEAD TO HEAD

Explain this comparison

Beyond percentages: causes, relevant specifications, and practical impact behind every chart.

Device A8800 GS65
Device B8500 GT63
What AI will explain

Overall score, radar, FPS, synthetic tests, specifications, efficiency, and value.

REAL CONFIGURATIONS

Owner experiences

Real builds, results, and community feedback.

Moderator reviewedHelpful to the community🏅Expert badges
FAQ · CHOOSE BY USE CASE

Frequently asked comparison questions

Short recommendations based on performance, memory, power consumption, and intended use.

01Which is better for gaming: 8800 GS or 8500 GT?

8800 GS has the higher overall gaming score, while 8800 GS offers the better price-to-performance ratio. The final choice depends on resolution and settings.

02Which is better for streaming?

8800 GS is the stronger streaming choice thanks to performance, hardware encoding, and application support. Check AV1, H.264, and HEVC support before buying.

03Which is better for Blender?

8800 GS is generally the better option for Blender and GPU rendering. Rendering-engine support and available VRAM also matter.

04Which is better for video editing?

8800 GS offers more overall performance, while 8800 GS offers more memory headroom. Codecs, hardware encoders, and editor optimization can change the result.

05Which is better for neural networks and AI?

8800 GS is the more practical option for local AI workloads. VRAM capacity, compute libraries, and framework compatibility are especially important.

06Which is better for 1080p?

8800 GS is the most rational 1080p choice, where high frame rates and cost per frame matter most.

07Which is better for 1440p?

8800 GS leads in combined 1440p performance. 8800 GS can be preferable for heavy textures and games with high VRAM usage.

08Which is better for 4K?

8800 GS is preferable for 4K, where total performance, memory bandwidth, and VRAM capacity have the greatest impact.

09Which is better for a quiet PC?

8500 GT is easier to use in a quiet build because of its lower estimated power and thermal load. Actual noise depends on the specific cooler.

10Which is better without replacing the power supply?

8500 GT is the safer candidate because its stated power consumption is lower. Verify PSU wattage, age, and power connectors.

11Is it worth upgrading from the previous generation?

Consider upgrading to 8800 GS if your current device no longer delivers the required FPS, memory capacity, or feature support. A gain below 15–20% is usually worth waiting for a price cut.