GeForce GTX 260 vs Radeon R9 M270X

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 GTX 260 vs Radeon R9 M270X 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 GTX 260 vs Radeon R9 M270X: 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 GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

✅35.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 896 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
79.6% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌142.7% higher power demand at 182W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M270X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 80.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.8 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅357.1% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 896 MB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 182W, a 107W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 260 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 260 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 M270X instead at 1,204 vs 1,200, 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 GTX 260 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M270X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 80.2% (4.8 vs 2.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M270X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 260 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 260 vs Radeon R9 M270X Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

Radeon R9 M270X

The Radeon R9 M270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 21 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,204 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 260 scores 1,200 and the Radeon R9 M270X reaches 1,204 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M270X uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 640 (Radeon R9 M270X). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260) vs 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M270X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	Radeon R9 M270X
G3D Mark Score	1,200	1,204
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	640+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.4769 TFLOPS	0.992 TFLOPS+108%
ROPs	28+75%	16
TMUs	64+60%	40
L2 Cache	224 KB	256 KB+14%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 260 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M270X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	Radeon R9 M270X
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 GTX 260 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M270X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M270X gives you 357.1% 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 GTX 260 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M270X. L2 Cache: 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M270X) — the Radeon R9 M270X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	Radeon R9 M270X
VRAM Capacity	0.875 GB	4 GB+357%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	224 KB	256 KB+14%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260 draws 182W versus the Radeon R9 M270X's 75W — a 83.3% difference. The Radeon R9 M270X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 260) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M270X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	Radeon R9 M270X
TDP	182W	75W-59%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	6.6	16.1+144%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 260 came in at $449, while the Radeon R9 M270X launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M270X was 44.3% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 4.8 (Radeon R9 M270X) — the Radeon R9 M270X offers 77.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M270X (2014 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 260	Radeon R9 M270X
MSRP	$449	$250-44%
Performance per Dollar	2.7	4.8+78%
Codename	GT200	Venus
Release	June 16 2008	March 21 2014
Ranking	#821	#819

Search GeForce GTX 260 on Amazon

Search Radeon R9 M270X on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.