GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 280

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 680 vs Radeon R9 280 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 680 vs Radeon R9 280: 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 680

2012

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
78.9% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅16.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.8 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 3 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?

Radeon R9 280 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 680 instead at 5,609 vs 5,532, 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 680 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 280 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $220 cheaper on MSRP at $279 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 76.4% (19.8 vs 11.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 280 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 680 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 280 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon R9 280

The Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 4 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 933 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,532 points. Launch price was $279.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the Radeon R9 280 reaches 5,532 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 280 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 280). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 933 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
G3D Mark Score	5,609+1%	5,532
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	1792+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.25 TFLOPS	3.344 TFLOPS+3%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz+13%	933 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	128 KB	448 KB+250%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 280 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 680 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 680 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 240 GB/s (Radeon R9 280) — a 24.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 280. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 680) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon R9 280 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s	240 GB/s+25%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon R9 280's 200W — a 2.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 680 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
TDP	195W-3%	200W
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	256mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	98°C	—
Perf/Watt	28.8+4%	27.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 680 came in at $499, while the Radeon R9 280 launched at $279. On MSRP, Radeon R9 280 was 44.1% cheaper ($220 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 19.8 (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon R9 280 offers 76.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 280 (2014 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
MSRP	$499	$279-44%
Performance per Dollar	11.2	19.8+77%
Codename	GK104	Tahiti
Release	March 22 2012	March 4 2014
Ranking	#410	#415

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