Maxwell GPU Surface Book
Radeon RX 560X
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon RX 560X 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.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon RX 560X 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon RX 560X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict
See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book
2015Why buy it
- ✅Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌16.3% HIGHER MSRP$150 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 25.9 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
Radeon RX 560X
2018Why buy it
- ✅Costs $21 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 17.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 25.9 vs 22.1 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
- ✅Maxwell GPU Surface Book is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 560X is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
- ❌150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.
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Maxwell GPU Surface Book vs Radeon RX 560X Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
Maxwell GPU Surface Book
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is manufactured by an unknown manufacturer. It was released in October 1 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 954 MHz to 993 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.
Radeon RX 560X
The Radeon RX 560X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1175 MHz to 1275 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,340 points.
Graphics Performance
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book scores 3,311 and the Radeon RX 560X reaches 3,340 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is built on Maxwell while the Radeon RX 560X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 560X). Boost clocks: 993 MHz vs 1275 MHz.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon RX 560X |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 3,311 | 3,340 |
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 1024+167% |
| Boost Clock | 993 MHz | 1275 MHz+28% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 560X is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book does not have comparable native support in the same tier.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon RX 560X |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR Frame Generation |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 560X carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 560X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Maxwell GPU Surface Book and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 560X.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon RX 560X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 256-bit+100% |
Power & Dimensions
The Maxwell GPU Surface Book draws 30W versus the Radeon RX 560X's 75W — a 85.7% difference. The Maxwell GPU Surface Book is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 400W (Radeon RX 560X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None.
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon RX 560X |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 30W-60% | 75W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-13% | 400W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | None |
| Length | 0mm | — |
| Height | 0mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 85 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 110.4+148% | 44.5 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Maxwell GPU Surface Book came in at $150, while the Radeon RX 560X launched at $129. On MSRP, Radeon RX 560X was 14% cheaper ($21 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 22.1 (Maxwell GPU Surface Book) vs 25.9 (Radeon RX 560X) — the Radeon RX 560X offers 17.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 560X (2018 vs 2015).
| Feature | Maxwell GPU Surface Book | Radeon RX 560X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $150 | $129-14% |
| Performance per Dollar | 22.1 | 25.9+17% |
| Codename | Surface Book | Polaris 21 |
| Release | October 1 2015 | April 11 2018 |
| Ranking | #779 | #556 |
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