GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U

GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 280

1 GB 236

1,285

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (Mobile)

GeForce GTX 1070 (móvel)

RTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU

GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U

Shared System RAM 15

1,304

+1.5%

Radeon HD 7550M/7650M

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 GTX 280 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U 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 280 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U: 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 280

2008

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 8.7 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌1473.3% higher power demand at 236W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U

2020

Why buy it

✅28.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $499 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 339.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.7 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 15W instead of 236W, a 221W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2020 hardware with Unknown 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?

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 28.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (1,304 vs 1,285), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GTX 280 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U makes the most sense to buy today. It is $499 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 339.1% (8.7 vs 2.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 280 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 280 vs Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U

The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,304 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 280 scores 1,285 and the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U reaches 1,304 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 280 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U uses Vega, both on 65 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 512 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U
G3D Mark Score	1,285	1,304+1%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Vega
Process Node	65 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	240	512+113%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 280 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U
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 280 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U carries 0 MB. 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 GTX 280 and System on the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280 draws 236W versus the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U's 15W — a 176.1% difference. The Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 280) vs 1W (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin vs Integrated.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U
TDP	236W	15W-94%
Recommended PSU	550W	1W-100%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin	Integrated
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	5.4	86.9+1509%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 280 came in at $649, while the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U was 76.9% cheaper ($499 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 8.7 (Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U) — the Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U offers 335% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U (2020 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280	Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U
MSRP	$649	$150-77%
Performance per Dollar	2.0	8.7+335%
Codename	GT200	Vega
Release	June 16 2008	January 7 2020
Ranking	#802	#545

Search GeForce GTX 280 on Amazon

Search Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U 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.