Quadro FX 3800 vs Radeon R9 M280X

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.

Quadro FX 3800 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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.

Quadro FX 3800 vs Radeon R9 M280X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro FX 3800

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
219.6% HIGHER MSRP
$799 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($799 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

✅21.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $549 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 215.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).

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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro FX 3800 instead at 824 vs 814, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro FX 3800 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 R9 M280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $549 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $799, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 215.7% (3.3 vs 1.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M280X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro FX 3800 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro FX 3800 vs Radeon R9 M280X Technical Specifications

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

Quadro FX 3800

The Quadro FX 3800 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 824 points. Launch price was $3,499.

Radeon R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X 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: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro FX 3800 scores 824 and the Radeon R9 M280X reaches 814 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro FX 3800 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 240 (Quadro FX 3800) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 3800) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X).

Feature	Quadro FX 3800	Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score	824+1%	814
Architecture	Tesla 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	240	2048+753%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6221 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+558%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	128+60%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro FX 3800	Radeon R9 M280X
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 Quadro FX 3800 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M280X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M280X 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 Quadro FX 3800 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Quadro FX 3800) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro FX 3800	Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro FX 3800 draws 189W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 5.7% difference. The Quadro FX 3800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro FX 3800) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	Quadro FX 3800	Radeon R9 M280X
TDP	189W-6%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	1mm	—
Slots	1	—
Perf/Watt	4.4+7%	4.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro FX 3800 came in at $799, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M280X was 68.7% cheaper ($549 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (Quadro FX 3800) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X offers 230% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M280X (2013 vs 2008).

Feature	Quadro FX 3800	Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP	$799	$250-69%
Performance per Dollar	1.0	3.3+230%
Codename	GT200B	Tahiti
Release	November 11 2008	October 8 2013
Ranking	#815	#404

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