GeForce 8800 GTX vs GeForce GTS 450

Speed and memory

The GeForce 8800 GTX and the GeForce GTS 450 are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

The GeForce 8800 GTX has shared GB of video memory and the GeForce GTS 450 has 1 GB. That is a small difference and unlikely to decide anything.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Cyberpunk 2077 (4 against 2 fps), and the smallest is in Grand Theft Auto V Legacy (19 against 14 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The GeForce 8800 GTX is rated at 155 W and the GeForce GTS 450 at 106 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the GeForce 8800 GTX cost $599 and the GeForce GTS 450 $129. Per dollar, the GeForce GTS 450 gave more performance (0.8 points per $100 against 0.2). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the GeForce 8800 GTX if you want the faster card, and you can accept 0 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce GTS 450 if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.