GRID P40-4Q vs Radeon R9 280X

GRID P40-4Q

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID P40-4Q vs Radeon R9 280X 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 P40-4Q vs Radeon R9 280X: 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 P40-4Q

2013

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 903.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $3,000 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($3,000 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $2,701 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $3,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 932.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $3,000 MSRP).
  • GRID P40-4Q is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R9 280X is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 280X is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.9% in PassMark G3D (6,100 vs 5,926), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 280X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,701 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $3,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 932.8% (20.4 vs 2.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GRID P40-4Q vs Radeon R9 280X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID P40-4Q

The GRID P40-4Q 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: 5,926 points. Launch price was $469.

AMD

Radeon R9 280X

The Radeon R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,100 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The GRID P40-4Q scores 5,926 and the Radeon R9 280X reaches 6,100 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID P40-4Q is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID P40-4Q) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS (GRID P40-4Q) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X).

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
G3D Mark Score
5,926
6,100+3%
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1536
2048+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS
4.096 TFLOPS+79%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128
128
L1 Cache
128 KB
512 KB+300%
L2 Cache
512 KB
768 KB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
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 P40-4Q has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280X carries 3 GB. GRID P40-4Q gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GRID P40-4Q and 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GRID P40-4Q) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 280X) — the Radeon R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+33%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
384-bit+200%
L2 Cache
512 KB
768 KB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_1 (GRID P40-4Q) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 3.

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
DirectX
12_1
12 (11_1)
Max Displays
0
3
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID P40-4Q draws 225W versus the Radeon R9 280X's 200W — a 11.8% difference. The Radeon R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID P40-4Q) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
TDP
225W
200W-11%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
1mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
26.3
30.5+16%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID P40-4Q came in at $3000, while the Radeon R9 280X launched at $299. On MSRP, Radeon R9 280X was 90% cheaper ($2701 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GRID P40-4Q) vs 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) — the Radeon R9 280X offers 920% better value.

FeatureGRID P40-4QRadeon R9 280X
MSRP
$3000
$299-90%
Performance per Dollar
2.0
20.4+920%
Codename
GK104
Tahiti
Release
June 28 2013
October 8 2013
Ranking
#628
#404

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