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 HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon R7 M260DX 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 HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon R7 M260DX: 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 HD 3850 X2

2011

Why buy it

✅74.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
16.3% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌238.7% higher power demand at 254W vs 75W.
❌26600% longer card at 267mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R7 M260DX

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 254W, a 179W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 267mm, a 266mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 3850 X2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB 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 HD 3850 X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 74.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (822 vs 817), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 3850 X2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 M260DX makes the most sense to buy today. It is $49 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 15.6% (2.7 vs 2.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 M260DX is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 3850 X2 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon R7 M260DX Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 3850 X2

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 960 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 254W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 822 points.

Radeon R7 M260DX

The Radeon R7 M260DX 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: 817 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 scores 822 and the Radeon R7 M260DX reaches 817 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R7 M260DX uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 384 (Radeon R7 M260DX). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 0.5491 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M260DX).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
G3D Mark Score	822	817
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	960 ×2+150%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.536 TFLOPS ×2+180%	0.5491 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2+300%	8
TMUs	48 ×2+100%	24
L1 Cache	192 KB+100%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
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 HD 3850 X2 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M260DX carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 3850 X2 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 X2 and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M260DX. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 M260DX) — the Radeon HD 3850 X2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 12_0 (Radeon R7 M260DX). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
DirectX	10.1	12_0+19%
Max Displays	2	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: UVD+ vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
Encoder	—	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD+	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 draws 254W versus the Radeon R7 M260DX's 75W — a 108.8% difference. The Radeon R7 M260DX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M260DX). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
TDP	254W	75W-70%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	1mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.2	10.9+241%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 3850 X2 came in at $349, while the Radeon R7 M260DX launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon R7 M260DX was 14% cheaper ($49 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 2.7 (Radeon R7 M260DX) — the Radeon R7 M260DX offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 M260DX (2015 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R7 M260DX
MSRP	$349	$300-14%
Performance per Dollar	2.4	2.7+13%
Codename	Barts	Opal
Release	September 19 2011	December 6 2015
Ranking	#630	#878

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