Arc A310 vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

CPU

GPU

Arc A310

2022Core: 2000 MHzBoost: 2000 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

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).
✅More future proof: Generation 12.7 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
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.

Arc A310

2022

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

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).
✅More future proof: Generation 12.7 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
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

So, is Arc A310 better than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X?

Yes. Arc A310 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 5,438 vs 5,248 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Arc A310 is a 2022 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Arc A310 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 6nm process instead of 28nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Arc A310 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $100 MSRP. Arc A310 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Arc A310 is about $199 cheaper on MSRP at $100 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting 3.6% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $100 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (75W vs 200W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $299 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Arc A310 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Arc A310 Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	65 FPS	100 FPS
medium	44 FPS	82 FPS
high	33 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	20 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	47 FPS	83 FPS
medium	28 FPS	70 FPS
high	18 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	20 FPS	27 FPS
medium	13 FPS	26 FPS
high	9 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	14 FPS

Open Arc A310 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	182 FPS	146 FPS
medium	154 FPS	118 FPS
high	116 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	86 FPS
medium	93 FPS	63 FPS
high	73 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	34 FPS
medium	55 FPS	25 FPS
high	44 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	14 FPS

Open Arc A310 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	245 FPS	236 FPS
medium	196 FPS	189 FPS
high	163 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	118 FPS
1440p
low	184 FPS	177 FPS
medium	147 FPS	142 FPS
high	122 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	122 FPS	118 FPS
medium	98 FPS	94 FPS
high	82 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	59 FPS

Open Arc A310 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Arc A310	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
1080p
low	245 FPS	179 FPS
medium	196 FPS	148 FPS
high	163 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	184 FPS	126 FPS
medium	147 FPS	105 FPS
high	122 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	114 FPS	74 FPS
medium	87 FPS	59 FPS
high	77 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	33 FPS

Open Arc A310 Open Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Arc A310 and Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

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 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB. The Arc A310 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. 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. Bus width: 64-bit vs 384-bit. 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

The Arc A310 launched at $100 MSRP, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299. The Arc A310 costs 66.6% less ($199 savings) on MSRP. 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 Arc A310 is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2013).