GeForce GTX 280M vs GeForce RTX 3070

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 280M vs GeForce RTX 3070 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 280M vs GeForce RTX 3070: 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 280M

2008

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅1568.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1568.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3749.3% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 576), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 65nm, and 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 280M vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 280M

The GeForce GTX 280M 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: 576 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 280M scores 576 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 3749.3%. The GeForce GTX 280M is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 65 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	576	22,172+3749%
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	65 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	240	5888+2353%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+3165%
ROPs	32	96+200%
TMUs	80	184+130%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 280M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 280M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 700% 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 280M and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	8 GB+700%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	448 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	0.25 MB	4 MB+1500%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	11.1 (10_0)	12 Ultimate+8%
OpenGL	3.3	4.6+39%
Max Displays	2	4+100%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 280M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280M draws 236W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 7% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 280M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: None vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	236W	220W-7%
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	None	8-pin
Length	—	242mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	2.4	100.8+4100%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce GTX 280M	GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP	—	$499
Codename	GT200	GA104
Release	June 16 2008	September 1 2020
Ranking	#802	#63

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