GRID M10-1B vs Radeon R9 255

GRID M10-1B

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 255

2014Core: 918 MHz
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GRID M10-1B vs Radeon R9 255 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 M10-1B vs Radeon R9 255: 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 M10-1B

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1698.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 10.8 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).
  • 18.4% higher power demand at 225W vs 190W.

Radeon R9 255

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $2,361 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1695% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.8 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 190W instead of 225W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2014 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?
GRID M10-1B is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.2% in PassMark G3D (1,504 vs 1,501), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID M10-1B is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 255 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,361 cheaper on MSRP at $139 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1695% (10.8 vs 0.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 255 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID M10-1B has the stronger long-term case.

GRID M10-1B vs Radeon R9 255 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID M10-1B

The GRID M10-1B is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,504 points.

AMD

Radeon R9 255

The Radeon R9 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The GRID M10-1B scores 1,504 and the Radeon R9 255 reaches 1,501 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID M10-1B is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 255 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID M10-1B) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 255). Raw compute: 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID M10-1B) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 255).

FeatureGRID M10-1BRadeon R9 255
G3D Mark Score
1,504
1,501
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 3.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048+14%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.825 TFLOPS+47%
3.29 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128+14%
112
L1 Cache
768 KB+71%
448 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID M10-1BRadeon R9 255
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 M10-1B has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 255 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 255 gives you 300% 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 M10-1B and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 255. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID M10-1B) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 255) — the GRID M10-1B has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID M10-1BRadeon R9 255
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
2 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID M10-1B draws 225W versus the Radeon R9 255's 190W — a 16.9% difference. The Radeon R9 255 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID M10-1B) vs 400W (Radeon R9 255). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID M10-1BRadeon R9 255
TDP
225W
190W-16%
Recommended PSU
350W-13%
400W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
6.7
7.9+18%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID M10-1B came in at $2500, while the Radeon R9 255 launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon R9 255 was 94.4% cheaper ($2361 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.6 (GRID M10-1B) vs 10.8 (Radeon R9 255) — the Radeon R9 255 offers 1700% better value. The newer card here is GRID M10-1B (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGRID M10-1BRadeon R9 255
MSRP
$2500
$139-94%
Performance per Dollar
0.6
10.8+1700%
Codename
GM204
Tonga
Release
August 30 2015
September 2 2014
Ranking
#525
#365

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