GRID K180Q vs Radeon R5 M255

GRID K180Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R5 M255

2014Core: 900 MHzBoost: 925 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GRID K180Q vs Radeon R5 M255 Performance Spectrum

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.

GRID K180Q vs Radeon R5 M255: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GRID K180Q

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 566.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,000 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 3.6 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 200% higher power demand at 225W vs 75W.

Radeon R5 M255

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $850 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 577.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.6 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 225W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 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 R5 M255 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (543 vs 534), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID K180Q 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 R5 M255 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $850 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $1,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 577.9% (3.6 vs 0.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 M255 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K180Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K180Q vs Radeon R5 M255 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID K180Q

The GRID K180Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 534 points. Launch price was $1,875.

AMD

Radeon R5 M255

The Radeon R5 M255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 28 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 925 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 543 points. Launch price was $799.99.

Graphics Performance

The GRID K180Q scores 534 and the Radeon R5 M255 reaches 543 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K180Q is built on Kepler while the Radeon R5 M255 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K180Q) vs 640 (Radeon R5 M255). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID K180Q) vs 1.184 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M255).

FeatureGRID K180QRadeon R5 M255
G3D Mark Score
534
543+2%
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1536+140%
640
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS+93%
1.184 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
128+220%
40
L1 Cache
128 KB
160 KB+25%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID K180QRadeon R5 M255
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID K180Q has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 M255 carries 4 GB. Radeon R5 M255 gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K180Q and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 M255. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GRID K180Q) vs 256 KB (Radeon R5 M255) — the GRID K180Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID K180QRadeon R5 M255
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
4 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K180Q draws 225W versus the Radeon R5 M255's 75W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R5 M255 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K180Q) vs 350W (Radeon R5 M255). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

FeatureGRID K180QRadeon R5 M255
TDP
225W
75W-67%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
2.4
7.2+200%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K180Q came in at $1000, while the Radeon R5 M255 launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon R5 M255 was 85% cheaper ($850 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.5 (GRID K180Q) vs 3.6 (Radeon R5 M255) — the Radeon R5 M255 offers 620% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 M255 (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureGRID K180QRadeon R5 M255
MSRP
$1000
$150-85%
Performance per Dollar
0.5
3.6+620%
Codename
GK104
Venus
Release
June 28 2013
January 28 2014
Ranking
#595
#851

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.