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 930MX 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 930MX 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 930MX

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $569 less on MSRP ($80 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 706.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.0 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 17W instead of 236W, a 219W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 280 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2016 hardware with 2 GB 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

✅14.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
711.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$80 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 16.0 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
❌1288.2% higher power demand at 236W vs 17W.

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 14.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (1,285 vs 1,278), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 930MX is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 65nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2008. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 930MX makes the most sense to buy today. It is $569 cheaper on MSRP at $80 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 706.8% (16.0 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 930MX vs GeForce GTX 280 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 930MX

The GeForce 930MX is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 1 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 952 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 17W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,278 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 930MX scores 1,278 and the GeForce GTX 280 reaches 1,285 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 930MX is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 280 uses Tesla 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 65 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 930MX) vs 240 (GeForce GTX 280). Raw compute: 0.7834 TFLOPS (GeForce 930MX) vs 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280).

Feature	GeForce 930MX	GeForce GTX 280
G3D Mark Score	1,278	1,285
Architecture	Maxwell	Tesla 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	65 nm
Shading Units	384+60%	240
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.7834 TFLOPS+26%	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 930MX	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 930MX has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 280 carries 1 GB. GeForce 930MX 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 930MX and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 280. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 930MX) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280) — the GeForce 930MX has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 930MX	GeForce GTX 280
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+100%	1 GB
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: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 930MX) vs 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 280). Vulkan: 1.1 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 930MX	GeForce GTX 280
DirectX	12 (11_0)+8%	11.1 (10_0)
Vulkan	1.1	N/A
OpenGL	4.6+39%	3.3
Max Displays	0	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

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

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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 930MX draws 17W versus the GeForce GTX 280's 236W — a 173.1% difference. The GeForce 930MX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 930MX) vs 550W (GeForce GTX 280). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 85.

Feature	GeForce 930MX	GeForce GTX 280
TDP	17W-93%	236W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80-6%	85
Perf/Watt	75.2+1293%	5.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 930MX came in at $80, while the GeForce GTX 280 launched at $649. On MSRP, GeForce 930MX was 87.7% cheaper ($569 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.0 (GeForce 930MX) vs 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) — the GeForce 930MX offers 700% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 930MX (2016 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 930MX	GeForce GTX 280
MSRP	$80-88%	$649
Performance per Dollar	16.0+700%	2.0
Codename	GM108	GT200
Release	March 1 2016	June 16 2008
Ranking	#805	#802

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