GeForce GT 730 vs Radeon R9 M280X

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 730

2014Core: 993 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GT 730 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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.

GeForce GT 730 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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 GT 730 vs Radeon R9 M280X: 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 GT 730

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $161 less on MSRP ($89 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Delivers 184.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($89 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Draws 64W instead of 200W, a 136W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

  • 106.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 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.
  • 180.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $250 MSRPvs$89 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $89 MSRP).
  • 212.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 64W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 106.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 730 instead at 824 vs 814, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GT 730 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GT 730 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $161 cheaper on MSRP at $89 vs $250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 184.3% (9.3 vs 3.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M280X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GT 730 vs Radeon R9 M280X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GT 730

The GeForce GT 730 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 29 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 64W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 824 points. Launch price was $89.

AMD

Radeon R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 730 scores 824 and the Radeon R9 M280X reaches 814 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 730 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 730) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 0.7626 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 730) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X).

FeatureGeForce GT 730Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score
824+1%
814
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
2048+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7626 TFLOPS
4.096 TFLOPS+437%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
32
128+300%
L1 Cache
32 KB
512 KB+1500%
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 730 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M280X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GT 730Radeon R9 M280X
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GT 730 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M280X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M280X 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 GeForce GT 730 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 730) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GT 730Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
80 GB/s
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 730 draws 64W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 103% difference. The GeForce GT 730 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GT 730) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

FeatureGeForce GT 730Radeon R9 M280X
TDP
64W-68%
200W
Recommended PSU
300W-14%
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
145mm
Height
69mm
Slots
1
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
12.9+215%
4.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GT 730 came in at $89, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, GeForce GT 730 was 64.4% cheaper ($161 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.3 (GeForce GT 730) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the GeForce GT 730 offers 181.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GT 730 (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GT 730Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP
$89-64%
$250
Performance per Dollar
9.3+182%
3.3
Codename
GK107
Tahiti
Release
May 29 2014
October 8 2013
Ranking
#777
#404

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