GeForce 845M vs Radeon R9 255

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.

GeForce 845M vs Radeon R9 255 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.

GeForce 845M vs Radeon R9 255: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GeForce 845M

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 190W, a 157W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 255 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 10.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R9 255

2014

Why buy it

✅66.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌475.8% higher power demand at 190W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 255 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 66.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (1,501 vs 1,487), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 845M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 255 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 R9 255 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 845M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 845M vs Radeon R9 255 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 845M

The GeForce 845M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 26 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1071 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,487 points.

Radeon R9 255

The Radeon R9 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 845M scores 1,487 and the Radeon R9 255 reaches 1,501 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 845M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon R9 255 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 845M) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 255). Raw compute: 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce 845M) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 255).

Feature	GeForce 845M	Radeon R9 255
G3D Mark Score	1,487	1,501
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1792+367%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.9032 TFLOPS	3.29 TFLOPS+264%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	112+250%
L1 Cache	192 KB	448 KB+133%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 845M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 255 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 845M	Radeon R9 255
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 845M has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 255 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 255 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 845M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 255. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 845M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 255) — the GeForce 845M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 845M	Radeon R9 255
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	2 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 845M draws 33W versus the Radeon R9 255's 190W — a 140.8% difference. The GeForce 845M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 845M) vs 400W (Radeon R9 255). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 845M	Radeon R9 255
TDP	33W-83%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	45.1+471%	7.9

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 845M (2015 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce 845M	Radeon R9 255
MSRP	—	$139
Codename	GM108	Tonga
Release	August 26 2015	September 2 2014
Ranking	#768	#365

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