Radeon 860M vs Radeon R9 270X

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 860M vs Radeon R9 270X 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 860M vs Radeon R9 270X: 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 860M

2025

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 15W instead of 180W, a 165W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 270X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 24.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 270X

2013

Why buy it

✅49.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 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.
❌1100% higher power demand at 180W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 270X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 49.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.7% in PassMark G3D (4,874 vs 4,838), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon 860M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 28nm, 8 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2013. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 270X 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 270X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 860M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 860M vs Radeon R9 270X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon 860M

The Radeon 860M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Marchar 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 600 MHz to 3000 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,838 points.

Radeon R9 270X

The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon 860M scores 4,838 and the Radeon R9 270X reaches 4,874 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 860M is built on RDNA 3.5 while the Radeon R9 270X uses GCN 1.0, both on 4 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon 860M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X). Raw compute: 3.072 TFLOPS (Radeon 860M) vs 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X). Boost clocks: 3000 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

Feature	Radeon 860M	Radeon R9 270X
G3D Mark Score	4,838	4,874
Architecture	RDNA 3.5	GCN 1.0
Process Node	4 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	1280+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.072 TFLOPS+14%	2.688 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	3000 MHz+186%	1050 MHz
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	32	80+150%
L1 Cache	64 KB	320 KB+400%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 860M	Radeon R9 270X
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 860M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 270X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon 860M and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon 860M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) — the Radeon 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon 860M	Radeon R9 270X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	179.2 GB/s
Bus Width	System	256-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 860M draws 15W versus the Radeon R9 270X's 180W — a 169.2% difference. The Radeon 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 860M) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon 860M	Radeon R9 270X
TDP	15W-92%	180W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	2x 6-pin
Length	—	241mm
Height	—	109mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	80 C
Perf/Watt	322.5+1090%	27.1

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 860M (2025 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon 860M	Radeon R9 270X
MSRP	—	$199
Codename	Krackan Point	Curacao
Release	Marchar 2025	October 8 2013
Ranking	#449	#448

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