GTX 650 vs GTX 680 Max-Q
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 650 | GTX 680 Max-Q | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 283 | 794 | -64.4% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 21 | 25 | -16.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 11 | 13 | -15.4% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 5 | 6 | -16.7% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 0.8 | 2.3 | -64.3% |
| VRAM | 1 GB GDDR5 | 2 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 112 | 224 | -50.0% |
| TDP (W) | 64 | 87 | — |
- GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 11 fps — about 15% faster.
- GTX 650 draws less power (64W vs 87W).
Verdict: GTX 650 or GTX 680 Max-Q?
GTX 650 advantages
- Power efficiency (+26%)
GTX 680 Max-Q advantages
- 1440p gaming (+15%)
- 4K gaming (+17%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+64%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- Memory bandwidth (+50%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 650 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the GTX 680 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
GTX 650 vs GTX 680 Max-Q: which should you choose?
GTX 650 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 1 GB of GDDR5, averaging 11 fps at 1440p; launched at $109.
GTX 680 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p.
GTX 650 vs GTX 680 Max-Q: GTX 680 Max-Q is faster for gaming. GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 11 fps — about 15% faster. GTX 650 draws less power (64W vs 87W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps against 11. At 4K (5 vs 6 fps) VRAM (1GB vs 2GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 64 W versus 87 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 650 better than the GTX 680 Max-Q?
GTX 680 Max-Q is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 11 fps — about 15% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 650 and the GTX 680 Max-Q?
GTX 680 Max-Q averages 13 fps at 1440p versus 11 fps — about 15% faster. GTX 650 draws less power (64W vs 87W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 650 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the GTX 680 Max-Q if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.