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 930A vs GeForce GTX 280 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 930A vs GeForce GTX 280: 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 930A

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $499 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 317.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.3 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 236W, a 203W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 280 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 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.

GeForce GTX 280

2008

Why buy it

✅17.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
332.7% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 8.3 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌615.2% higher power demand at 236W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 280 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 17.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.5% in PassMark G3D (1,285 vs 1,241), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 930A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 65nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2008. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 930A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $499 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 317.9% (8.3 vs 2.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 280 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce 930A vs GeForce GTX 280 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 930A

The GeForce 930A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 941 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,241 points.

GeForce GTX 280

The GeForce GTX 280 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,285 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 930A scores 1,241 and the GeForce GTX 280 reaches 1,285 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 930A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 280 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 930A) vs 240 (GeForce GTX 280). Raw compute: 0.7227 TFLOPS (GeForce 930A) vs 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280).

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
G3D Mark Score	1,241	1,285+4%
Architecture	Maxwell	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+60%	240
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7227 TFLOPS+16%	0.6221 TFLOPS
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	24	80+233%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 930A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 280 carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 280 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 GeForce 930A and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 280. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 930A) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280) — the GeForce 930A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.0 (GeForce 930A) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 280). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
DirectX	11.0	11.1 (10_0)
Vulkan	1.2	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	1	2+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2 (GeForce 930A) vs None (GeForce GTX 280). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs PureVideo HD (VP2). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 (GeForce 930A) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 280).

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
Encoder	NVENC 2	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	PureVideo HD (VP2)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 930A draws 33W versus the GeForce GTX 280's 236W — a 150.9% difference. The GeForce 930A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 930A) vs 550W (GeForce GTX 280). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85.

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
TDP	33W-86%	236W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85
Perf/Watt	37.6+596%	5.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 930A came in at $150, while the GeForce GTX 280 launched at $649. On MSRP, GeForce 930A was 76.9% cheaper ($499 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.3 (GeForce 930A) vs 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) — the GeForce 930A offers 315% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 930A (2015 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 930A	GeForce GTX 280
MSRP	$150-77%	$649
Performance per Dollar	8.3+315%	2.0
Codename	GM108	GT200
Release	March 13 2015	June 16 2008
Ranking	#810	#802

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