Arc A370M vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

CPU

GPU

Arc A370M

2022Core: 300 MHzBoost: 1550 MHz

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Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

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Arc A370M vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Performance Spectrum

Arc A370M

4 GB 35

5,115

0.0%

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

3 GB 200

5,248

+2.6%

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 A370M 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 A370M 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 A370M

2022

Why buy it

✅1.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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 35W instead of 200W, a 165W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 17.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Arc A370M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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.
❌471.4% higher power demand at 200W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Arc A370M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X instead at 5,248 vs 5,115, 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 A370M 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, 8 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?

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Arc A370M has the stronger long-term case.

Arc A370M vs Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X Technical Specifications

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

Arc A370M

The Arc A370M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Generation 12.7 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1550 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 35W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,115 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 A370M scores 5,115 and the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X reaches 5,248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Arc A370M 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: 1,024 (Arc A370M) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Raw compute: 3.174 TFLOPS (Arc A370M) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1550 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Arc A370M	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
G3D Mark Score	5,115	5,248+3%
Architecture	Generation 12.7	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.174 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+29%
Boost Clock	1550 MHz+55%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	128+100%
L1 Cache	1.5 MB+200%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Arc A370M	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 A370M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X carries 3 GB. Arc A370M gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (Arc A370M) vs 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — a 135.7% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Arc A370M and 384-bit on the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. L2 Cache: 4 MB (Arc A370M) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) — the Arc A370M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Arc A370M	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	264 GB/s+136%
Bus Width	64-bit	384-bit+500%
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (Arc A370M) 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 A370M	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 A370M) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Decoder: Xe Media Engine vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (Arc A370M) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X).

Feature	Arc A370M	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
Encoder	Xe Media Engine	VCE 1.0
Decoder	Xe Media Engine	UVD 3.2
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Arc A370M draws 35W versus the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X's 200W — a 140.4% difference. The Arc A370M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Arc A370M) vs 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 275mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 90 vs 80 C.

Feature	Arc A370M	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
TDP	35W-83%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	0mm	275mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	90	80 C-11%
Perf/Watt	146.1+458%	26.2

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Arc A370M (2022 vs 2013).

Feature	Arc A370M	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X
MSRP	—	$299
Codename	DG2-128	Tahiti
Release	March 30 2022	October 8 2013
Ranking	#439	#404

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