Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

CPU

GPU

Arc A310

2022Core: 2000 MHzBoost: 2000 MHz

Arc family

···

Buy on Amazon

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

Similar parts

·······

Buy on Amazon

Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Performance Spectrum

Arc A310

4 GB 75

5,438

+3.6%

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

3 GB 200

5,248

0.0%

Radeon R7 260

Radeon RX 550 (móvel)

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Arc A310

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 209.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 54.4 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Generation 12.7 (2022−2023) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅18.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
199% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.6 vs 54.4 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 18.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Arc A310 instead at 5,438 vs 5,248, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Arc A310 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM, a 6nm process instead of 28nm, 6 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Arc A310 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 209.8% (54.4 vs 17.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Arc A310

The Arc A310 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Generation 12.7 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2000 MHz to 2000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 6 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,438 points.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Arc A310 scores 5,438 and the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X reaches 5,248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Arc A310 is built on Generation 12.7 while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (Arc A310) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 3.072 TFLOPS (Arc A310) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 2000 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	5,438+4%	5,248
Architecture	Generation 12.7	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2048+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.072 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+33%
Boost Clock	2000 MHz+100%	1000 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	128+300%
L1 Cache	1.1 MB+120%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Arc A310 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X carries 3 GB. Arc A310 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 124 GB/s (Arc A310) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 112.9% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Arc A310 and 384-bit on the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. L2 Cache: 4 MB (Arc A310) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the Arc A310 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	124 GB/s	264 GB/s+113%
Bus Width	64-bit	384-bit+500%
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (Arc A310) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Xe Media Engine (Arc A310) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: Xe Media Engine vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Arc A310) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	Xe Media Engine	VCE 1.0
Decoder	Xe Media Engine	UVD 3.2
Codecs	AV1,H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Arc A310 draws 75W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The Arc A310 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (Arc A310) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: None vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 169mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 80 C.

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	300W-40%	500W
Power Connector	None	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	169mm	275mm
Height	69mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	65°C-19%	80 C
Perf/Watt	72.5+177%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Arc A310 came in at $100, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. On MSRP, Arc A310 was 66.6% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 54.4 (Arc A310) vs 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the Arc A310 offers 209.1% better value. The newer card here is Arc A310 (2022 vs 2013).

Feature	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
MSRP	$100-67%	$299
Performance per Dollar	54.4+209%	17.6
Codename	DG2-128	Tahiti
Release	October 12 2022	October 8 2013
Ranking	#422	#404

Search Arc A310 on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.