Quadro M4000M vs Radeon R9 280X

NVIDIA

Quadro M4000M

2015Core: 975 MHzBoost: 1013 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

Quadro M4000M 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.

Quadro M4000M vs Radeon R9 280X 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 M4000M 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.

Quadro M4000M

2015

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
  • Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.
  • More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

  • 5.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

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.
  • 100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 5.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro M4000M instead at 6,148 vs 6,100, 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 M4000M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 3 GB of VRAM and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 280X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 280X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro M4000M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro M4000M vs Radeon R9 280X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro M4000M

The Quadro M4000M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 18 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 975 MHz to 1013 MHz. It has 1,280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,148 points.

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 Quadro M4000M scores 6,148 and the Radeon R9 280X reaches 6,100 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro M4000M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1 (Quadro M4000M) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X). Raw compute: 2.496 TFLOPS (Quadro M4000M) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X). Boost clocks: 1013 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
G3D Mark Score
6,148
6,100
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1,280
2048+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.496 TFLOPS
4.096 TFLOPS+64%
Boost Clock
1013 MHz+1%
1000 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
80
128+60%
L1 Cache
480 KB
512 KB+7%
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon 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 Quadro M4000M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280X carries 3 GB. Quadro M4000M gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Quadro M4000M and 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro M4000M) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280X) — the Quadro M4000M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+33%
3 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
256-bit
384-bit+50%
L2 Cache
2 MB+167%
0.75 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (Quadro M4000M) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5 (Quadro M4000M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X). Decoder: NVDEC 1 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1,DivX (Quadro M4000M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X).

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
Encoder
NVENC 5
VCE 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC 1
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1,DivX
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro M4000M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 280X's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The Quadro M4000M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro M4000M) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
TDP
100W-50%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
61.5+102%
30.5
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro M4000M (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureQuadro M4000MRadeon R9 280X
MSRP
$299
Codename
GM204
Tahiti
Release
August 18 2015
October 8 2013
Ranking
#392
#404

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