CMP 30HX vs Radeon R9 270X

CMP 30HX

2021Core: 1530 MHzBoost: 1785 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 270X

2013Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
·······

CMP 30HX vs Radeon R9 270X Performance Spectrum

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.

CMP 30HX vs Radeon R9 270X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

CMP 30HX

2021

Why buy it

  • Radeon R9 270X is already obsolete for modern gaming, so CMP 30HX is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 241mm, a 12mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 301.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $799 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.1 vs 24.5 G3D/$ ($799 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 270X

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $600 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
  • Delivers 300% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 6.1 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
CMP 30HX is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (4,892 vs 4,874), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
CMP 30HX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 270X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $600 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $799, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 300% (24.5 vs 6.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 270X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, CMP 30HX has the stronger long-term case.

CMP 30HX vs Radeon R9 270X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

CMP 30HX

The CMP 30HX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 25 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1530 MHz to 1785 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 125W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,892 points. Launch price was $799.

AMD

Radeon R9 270X

The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.

Graphics Performance

The CMP 30HX scores 4,892 and the Radeon R9 270X reaches 4,874 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The CMP 30HX is built on Turing while the Radeon R9 270X uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,408 (CMP 30HX) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X). Raw compute: 5.027 TFLOPS (CMP 30HX) vs 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X). Boost clocks: 1785 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
G3D Mark Score
4,892
4,874
Architecture
Turing
GCN 1.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1408+10%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.027 TFLOPS+87%
2.688 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1785 MHz+70%
1050 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
88+10%
80
L1 Cache
1.4 MB+352%
0.31 MB
L2 Cache
1.5 MB+200%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
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 CMP 30HX has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 270X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the CMP 30HX and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (CMP 30HX) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) — the CMP 30HX has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
256-bit+300%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB+200%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (CMP 30HX) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 270X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
DirectX
12
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.2
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
0
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (CMP 30HX) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 270X). Decoder: No vs UVD 4.2.

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
Encoder
No
VCE 1.0
Decoder
No
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The CMP 30HX draws 125W versus the Radeon R9 270X's 180W — a 36.1% difference. The CMP 30HX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (CMP 30HX) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80 C.

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
TDP
125W-31%
180W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
229mm
241mm
Height
111mm
109mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-6%
80 C
Perf/Watt
39.1+44%
27.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the CMP 30HX came in at $799, while the Radeon R9 270X launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 270X was 75.1% cheaper ($600 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.1 (CMP 30HX) vs 24.5 (Radeon R9 270X) — the Radeon R9 270X offers 301.6% better value. The newer card here is CMP 30HX (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureCMP 30HXRadeon R9 270X
MSRP
$799
$199-75%
Performance per Dollar
6.1
24.5+302%
Codename
TU116
Curacao
Release
February 25 2021
October 8 2013
Ranking
#447
#448

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.