GeForce GTX 780M vs Radeon R9 M485X

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 780M

2013

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 122W instead of 250W, a 128W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $450 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M485X

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌104.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 122W.

GeForce GTX 780M

2013

Radeon R9 M485X

2016

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 122W instead of 250W, a 128W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $450 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌104.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 122W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 780M better than Radeon R9 M485X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,845 vs 3,801 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 780M is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (122W vs 250W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 780M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 2 GB and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 780M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 780M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $450 MSRP, and you are getting 1.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M485X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R9 M485X make more sense than GeForce GTX 780M?

Yes. Radeon R9 M485X is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture and staying closer to $450 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 780M. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 780M currently gives you 1.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M485X still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 780M Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M485X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
1080p
low	77 FPS	80 FPS
medium	66 FPS	66 FPS
high	52 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	34 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	67 FPS
medium	60 FPS	56 FPS
high	42 FPS	40 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	25 FPS
medium	23 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780M Open Radeon R9 M485X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
1080p
low	120 FPS	102 FPS
medium	88 FPS	79 FPS
high	67 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	48 FPS
1440p
low	66 FPS	61 FPS
medium	44 FPS	43 FPS
high	32 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	24 FPS
medium	16 FPS	17 FPS
high	13 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	10 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780M Open Radeon R9 M485X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
1080p
low	173 FPS	171 FPS
medium	138 FPS	137 FPS
high	115 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	130 FPS	128 FPS
medium	104 FPS	103 FPS
high	87 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	86 FPS
medium	69 FPS	68 FPS
high	58 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780M Open Radeon R9 M485X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
1080p
low	153 FPS	146 FPS
medium	125 FPS	117 FPS
high	112 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	112 FPS	107 FPS
medium	93 FPS	87 FPS
high	83 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	63 FPS
medium	51 FPS	48 FPS
high	42 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780M Open Radeon R9 M485X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780M and Radeon R9 M485X

GeForce GTX 780M

The GeForce GTX 780M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 823 MHz to 797 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,845 points.

Radeon R9 M485X

The Radeon R9 M485X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,801 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 780M scores 3,845 and the Radeon R9 M485X reaches 3,801 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 780M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M485X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 780M) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M485X). Raw compute: 2.448 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780M) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M485X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
G3D Mark Score	3,845+1%	3,801
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2048+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.448 TFLOPS	2.961 TFLOPS+21%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128	128
L1 Cache	128 KB	512 KB+300%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 780M gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 M485X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
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 780M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M485X has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 780M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780M) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M485X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 1st Gen NVENC (Kepler) (GeForce GTX 780M) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 M485X). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP5 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 780M) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 M485X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780M	Radeon R9 M485X
Encoder	1st Gen NVENC (Kepler)	VCE 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP5	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780M draws 122W versus the Radeon R9 M485X's 250W — a 68.8% difference. The GeForce GTX 780M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 780M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M485X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.