GeForce GTX 480 vs Radeon R9 270

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 480 vs Radeon R9 270 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 480 vs Radeon R9 270: 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 480

2010

Why buy it

✅9.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
178.8% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.2 vs 24.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Radeon R9 270

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 194.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.1 vs 8.2 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 480 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 2 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 480 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 9.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 270 instead at 4,306 vs 4,075, 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 480 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 270 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $320 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 194.6% (24.1 vs 8.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 270 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 480 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 480 vs Radeon R9 270 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 480

The GeForce GTX 480 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,075 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon R9 270

The Radeon R9 270 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 13 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,306 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 480 scores 4,075 versus the Radeon R9 270's 4,306 — the Radeon R9 270 leads by 5.7%. The GeForce GTX 480 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R9 270 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 480 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270). Raw compute: 1.345 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480) vs 2.368 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	Radeon R9 270
G3D Mark Score	4,075	4,306+6%
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	480	1280+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.345 TFLOPS	2.368 TFLOPS+76%
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	60	80+33%
L1 Cache	960 KB+200%	320 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 480 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 270 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	Radeon R9 270
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 480 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 270 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 177.4 GB/s (GeForce GTX 480) vs 179.2 GB/s (Radeon R9 270) — a 1% advantage for the Radeon R9 270. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 480 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 480) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 270) — the GeForce GTX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	Radeon R9 270
VRAM Capacity	1.5 GB	2 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	177.4 GB/s	179.2 GB/s+1%
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 480 draws 250W versus the Radeon R9 270's 150W — a 50% difference. The Radeon R9 270 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 480) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	Radeon R9 270
TDP	250W	150W-40%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	16.3	28.7+76%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 480 came in at $499, while the Radeon R9 270 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon R9 270 was 64.1% cheaper ($320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.2 (GeForce GTX 480) vs 24.1 (Radeon R9 270) — the Radeon R9 270 offers 193.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 270 (2013 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480	Radeon R9 270
MSRP	$499	$179-64%
Performance per Dollar	8.2	24.1+194%
Codename	GF100	Curacao
Release	March 26 2010	November 13 2013
Ranking	#488	#476

Search GeForce GTX 480 on Amazon

Search Radeon R9 270 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.