Radeon HD 3850 X2 vs Radeon R9 M280X

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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X: 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

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
39.6% HIGHER MSRP
$349 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

✅21.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 200W instead of 254W, a 54W reduction.

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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 3850 X2 instead at 822 vs 814, 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 HD 3850 X2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $99 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $349, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 38.2% (3.3 vs 2.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X 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: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 scores 822 and the Radeon R9 M280X reaches 814 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 X2 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 960 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score	822	814
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	960 ×2	2048+113%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.536 TFLOPS ×2	4.096 TFLOPS+167%
ROPs	32 ×2	32
TMUs	48 ×2	128+167%
L1 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R9 M280X
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 HD 3850 X2 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M280X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M280X gives you 300% 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 R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity	1 GB	4 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	80 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3850 X2 draws 254W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 23.8% difference. The Radeon R9 M280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R9 M280X
TDP	254W	200W-21%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.2	4.1+28%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 3850 X2 came in at $349, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M280X was 28.4% cheaper ($99 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (Radeon HD 3850 X2) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X offers 37.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M280X (2013 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850 X2	Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP	$349	$250-28%
Performance per Dollar	2.4	3.3+38%
Codename	Barts	Tahiti
Release	September 19 2011	October 8 2013
Ranking	#630	#404

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