Radeon 530 vs Radeon R7 M260X

AMD

Radeon 530

2017Core: 730 MHzBoost: 1024 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 M260X

2015Core: 620 MHzBoost: 715 MHz
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Radeon 530 vs Radeon R7 M260X 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 530 vs Radeon R7 M260X 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 530 vs Radeon R7 M260X: 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 530

2017

Why buy it

  • 1.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 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.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R7 M260X

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon 530 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon 530 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (1,037 vs 1,013), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon 530 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2017 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 M260X 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 R7 M260X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 530 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 530 vs Radeon R7 M260X Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon 530

The Radeon 530 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,037 points.

AMD

Radeon R7 M260X

The Radeon R7 M260X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 6 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 620 MHz to 715 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,013 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon 530 scores 1,037 and the Radeon R7 M260X reaches 1,013 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 530 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon R7 M260X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Radeon 530) vs 384 (Radeon R7 M260X). Raw compute: 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon 530) vs 0.5491 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M260X). Boost clocks: 1024 MHz vs 715 MHz.

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
G3D Mark Score
1,037+2%
1,013
Architecture
GCN 3.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.7864 TFLOPS+43%
0.5491 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1024 MHz+43%
715 MHz
ROPs
8
8
TMUs
24
24
L1 Cache
96 KB
96 KB
L2 Cache
128 KB
256 KB+100%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
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 530 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M260X carries 4 GB. Radeon R7 M260X gives you 700% 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 530 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M260X. L2 Cache: 128 KB (Radeon 530) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 M260X) — the Radeon R7 M260X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
4 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
128 KB
256 KB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon 530) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R7 M260X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
DirectX
12 (12_0)
12 (11_1)
Vulkan
1.2
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+7%
4.3
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0 (Radeon 530) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R7 M260X). Decoder: UVD 6.0 vs UVD 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (Decode),VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon 530) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC (Radeon R7 M260X).

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
Encoder
VCE 3.0
VCE 1.0
Decoder
UVD 6.0
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265 (Decode),VC-1,MPEG-4
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 530 draws 50W versus the Radeon R7 M260X's 75W — a 40% difference. The Radeon 530 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 530) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M260X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85.

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
TDP
50W-33%
75W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75-12%
85
Perf/Watt
20.7+53%
13.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon 530 came in at $0, while the Radeon R7 M260X launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon 530 was 100+% cheaper ($139 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Radeon 530) vs 7.3 (Radeon R7 M260X) — the Radeon 530 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon 530 (2017 vs 2015).

FeatureRadeon 530Radeon R7 M260X
MSRP
$0-100%
$139
Performance per Dollar
Infinity
7.3
Codename
Weston
Opal
Release
April 18 2017
December 6 2015
Ranking
#873
#878

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