Radeon 520 vs Radeon R7 240

AMD

Radeon 520

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R7 240

2013Boost: 780 MHz

Radeon 520 vs Radeon R7 240 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.

Radeon 520 vs Radeon R7 240 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.

Radeon 520 vs Radeon R7 240: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon 520

2017

Why buy it

  • 21.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 13% HIGHER MSRP
    $78 MSRPvs$69 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 13.1 G3D/$ ($78 MSRP vs $69 MSRP).
  • 66.7% higher power demand at 50W vs 30W.

Radeon R7 240

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $9 less on MSRP ($69 MSRP vs $78 MSRP).
  • Delivers 16.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($69 MSRP vs $78 MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 30W instead of 50W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon 520 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2013 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?
Radeon 520 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 240 instead at 902 vs 874, 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?
Radeon 520 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 240 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $9 cheaper on MSRP at $69 vs $78, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 16.7% (13.1 vs 11.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 240 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 520 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 520 vs Radeon R7 240 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon 520

The Radeon 520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 874 points. Launch price was $79.

AMD

Radeon R7 240

The Radeon R7 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 780 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 902 points. Launch price was $69.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon 520 scores 874 and the Radeon R7 240 reaches 902 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 520 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon R7 240 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon 520) vs 320 (Radeon R7 240). Raw compute: 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon 520) vs 0.448 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 240). Boost clocks: 1183 MHz vs 780 MHz.

FeatureRadeon 520Radeon R7 240
G3D Mark Score
874
902+3%
Architecture
GCN 4.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
14 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
512+60%
320
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.211 TFLOPS+170%
0.448 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1183 MHz+52%
780 MHz
ROPs
16+100%
8
TMUs
32+60%
20
L1 Cache
128 KB+60%
80 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon 520Radeon R7 240
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 520 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 240 carries 2 GB. Radeon R7 240 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 Radeon 520 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 240.

FeatureRadeon 520Radeon R7 240
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
2 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 520 draws 50W versus the Radeon R7 240's 30W — a 50% difference. The Radeon R7 240 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 250W (Radeon 520) vs 300W (Radeon R7 240). Power connectors: None vs None.

FeatureRadeon 520Radeon R7 240
TDP
50W
30W-40%
Recommended PSU
250W-17%
300W
Power Connector
None
None
Perf/Watt
17.5
30.1+72%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon 520 came in at $78, while the Radeon R7 240 launched at $69. On MSRP, Radeon R7 240 was 11.5% cheaper ($9 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (Radeon 520) vs 13.1 (Radeon R7 240) — the Radeon R7 240 offers 17% better value. The newer card here is Radeon 520 (2017 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon 520Radeon R7 240
MSRP
$78
$69-12%
Performance per Dollar
11.2
13.1+17%
Codename
Lexa
Oland
Release
April 20 2017
October 8 2013
Ranking
#668
#911

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