NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GDDR6 in 2025: A Budget Choice for Modest Tasks
Review of relevance, performance, and features of the graphics card six years after its release
1. Architecture and Key Features
Turing Architecture: A Legacy from the Past
The GTX 1650 GDDR6 graphics card is based on NVIDIA's Turing architecture, introduced in 2018. Despite lacking specialized RT cores for ray tracing and tensor cores for DLSS, this GPU remains relevant due to optimizations and an affordable price. The manufacturing process is 12 nm (FinFET), which seems outdated by 2025 standards but provides low power consumption.
What Can the GTX 1650 GDDR6 Do?
The card supports the basic Turing features:
- Adaptive Shading — dynamic management of pixel shader load to increase FPS;
- NVENC — a chip for hardware video encoding (relevant for streaming);
- Support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (without hardware Ray Tracing).
Technologies such as DLSS and Ray Tracing are unavailable, as they are part of the RTX line. However, FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) from AMD works in some games, compensating for the lack of DLSS.
2. Memory: GDDR6 vs. Outdated Standards
4 GB GDDR6: Minimalism with Caveats
The GTX 1650 GDDR6 is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus. The bandwidth is 192 GB/s (compared to 128 GB/s for the GDDR5 version). This improves performance in games with high texture loads, such as Horizon Zero Dawn or Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Memory Volume Problem
4 GB in 2025 is the critical minimum. In projects like Starfield or Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, there may be drops due to insufficient VRAM at ultra settings. However, for esports titles (CS2, Valorant) and older AAA games, this is adequate.
3. Gaming Performance: The Realities of 2025
1080p: Comfort at Medium Settings
At 1920×1080 resolution, the GTX 1650 GDDR6 shows the following results (average FPS):
- Apex Legends: 65-70 FPS (high settings);
- Fortnite: 60 FPS (medium + FSR Quality);
- Cyberpunk 2077: 35-40 FPS (low + FSR Balanced);
- EA Sports FC 2025: 75 FPS (ultra).
1440p and 4K: Only for Undemanding Projects
At 2560×1440, the card handles Rocket League (100+ FPS) or Dota 2 (80 FPS), but in AAA games, settings need to be dropped to minimum. 4K is only advisable for indie projects like Hollow Knight.
Ray Tracing: Not for GTX 1650
Without RT cores, enabling RT effects in Cyberpunk 2077 reduces FPS to 15-20 frames. An alternative is hybrid rendering through FSR or mods, but this is not a full replacement.
4. Professional Tasks: Modest Capabilities
Video Editing and Rendering
Thanks to NVENC, the card is suitable for editing 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro. Rendering 4K projects is possible but time-consuming.
3D Modeling and CUDA
In Blender or Maya, the GTX 1650 GDDR6 handles simple scenes. For rendering through OptiX (NVIDIA), it is better to choose an RTX card with more memory.
Scientific Calculations
CUDA cores (896 in total) can be used in MATLAB or machine learning, but for serious tasks, cards with 8+ GB of memory are preferred.
5. Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation
TDP 75W: Savings on the Power Supply
The GTX 1650 GDDR6 does not require additional power — PCIe x16 is sufficient. This makes it ideal for upgrading older PCs with a 300-400W PSU.
Cooling: Silence Over Power
Even under load, the card rarely heats above 70°C. Recommended cases include compact models with 1-2 fans. For mining or long rendering sessions, versions with a dual-slot cooler are preferable.
6. Comparison with Competitors
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (4 GB GDDR6)
- Pros: Support for FSR 3.0, higher performance in Vulkan games;
- Cons: 64-bit bus (bandwidth 144 GB/s), lack of AV1 encoding support.
Intel Arc A380 (6 GB GDDR6)
- Pros: 6 GB of memory, support for XeSS;
- Cons: Poor optimization for older games, high power consumption.
Conclusion: The GTX 1650 GDDR6 is favored for its stable drivers and NVENC but falls short in future-proofing due to its 4 GB memory.
7. Practical Tips
Power Supply: 350W (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10) is sufficient for a system with Ryzen 5 5500.
Compatibility: PCIe 3.0 x16, requires a UEFI motherboard for proper operation.
Drivers: Game Ready Driver 555.xx (April 2025) adds optimizations for Star Wars: Eclipse, but does not support DLSS 4.0.
8. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low price ($160-180);
- Energy efficiency;
- Support for modern codecs (HEVC, VP9).
Cons:
- 4 GB GDDR6;
- No hardware Ray Tracing;
- Limited future expansion.
9. Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the GTX 1650 GDDR6?
This graphics card is suitable for:
- Owners of office PCs looking to play Fortnite or CS2 without upgrading their PSU;
- Streamers on a budget (thanks to NVENC);
- Enthusiasts of compact builds (SFF cases).
If you're ready to spend $250+, consider the RTX 3050 8 GB or RX 6600. But for modest tasks, the GTX 1650 GDDR6 remains a workhorse in 2025.
Prices are current as of April 2025. The cost of new devices in retail stores in the USA is indicated.