CMP 40HX vs Radeon RX 480

CMP 40HX

2021Core: 1470 MHzBoost: 1650 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 480

2016Core: 1120 MHzBoost: 1266 MHz
Similar parts
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CMP 40HX vs Radeon RX 480 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 40HX vs Radeon RX 480: 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 40HX

2021

Why buy it

  • Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Measures 229mm instead of 240mm, a 11mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
  • More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 205.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $699 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.5 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • 23.3% higher power demand at 185W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $470 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 198.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 12.5 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • Draws 150W instead of 185W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
CMP 40HX is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (8,749 vs 8,546), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
CMP 40HX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 14nm, 36 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 480 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $470 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 198.2% (37.3 vs 12.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 480 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, CMP 40HX has the stronger long-term case.

CMP 40HX vs Radeon RX 480 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

CMP 40HX

The CMP 40HX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 25 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1470 MHz to 1650 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,749 points. Launch price was $699.

AMD

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

Graphics Performance

The CMP 40HX scores 8,749 and the Radeon RX 480 reaches 8,546 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The CMP 40HX is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0, both on 12 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (CMP 40HX) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 480). Raw compute: 7.603 TFLOPS (CMP 40HX) vs 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480). Boost clocks: 1650 MHz vs 1266 MHz.

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
G3D Mark Score
8,749+2%
8,546
Architecture
Turing
GCN 4.0
Process Node
12 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2304
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.603 TFLOPS+30%
5.834 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1650 MHz+30%
1266 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
144
144
L1 Cache
2.3 MB+311%
0.56 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
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 40HX has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 480 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 480 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the CMP 40HX and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 480. L2 Cache: 4 MB (CMP 40HX) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 480) — the CMP 40HX has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (CMP 40HX) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 480). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 4.

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.0
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
0
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (CMP 40HX) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480). Decoder: No vs UVD 6.3.

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
Encoder
No
VCE 3.4
Decoder
No
UVD 6.3
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The CMP 40HX draws 185W versus the Radeon RX 480's 150W — a 20.9% difference. The Radeon RX 480 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (CMP 40HX) vs 500W (Radeon RX 480). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 229mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
TDP
185W
150W-19%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
229mm
240mm
Height
111mm
95mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C-6%
85°C
Perf/Watt
47.3
57.0+21%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the CMP 40HX came in at $699, while the Radeon RX 480 launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon RX 480 was 67.2% cheaper ($470 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 12.5 (CMP 40HX) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) — the Radeon RX 480 offers 198.4% better value. The newer card here is CMP 40HX (2021 vs 2016).

FeatureCMP 40HXRadeon RX 480
MSRP
$699
$229-67%
Performance per Dollar
12.5
37.3+198%
Codename
TU106
Ellesmere
Release
February 25 2021
June 29 2016
Ranking
#302
#305

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