Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
VS
GeForce GTX 1060

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 vs GeForce GTX 1060

CPUCPUGPUGPU
AMD

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280

2012Boost: 1250 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4060•RTX 3060•RTX 4060 Ti•RTX 3070•GTX 1650•RTX 3060 Ti•RTX 4070•RTX 3050•RX 7600•RTX 4070 Ti
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

2016Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1733 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4060•RTX 3060•RTX 4060 Ti•RTX 3070•GTX 1650•RTX 3060 Ti•RTX 4070•RTX 3050•RX 7600•RTX 4070 Ti

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280
200
4,765
0.0%
brand logoRadeon HD 8770
brand logoRadeon R7 360
brand logoRadeon RX 560
brand logoRadeon RX 460 (móvel)
brand logoRadeon RX 5500 XT
brand logoRadeon RX 6800M
brand logoRadeon RX 6850M XT
brand logoRadeon RX 6800
GeForce GTX 1060
180
10,064
+111.2%
brand logoGeForce GTX 680
brand logoGeForce GTX 970XM FORCE
brand logoGeForce RTX 2050 Mobile
brand logoGeForce GTX TITAN Z
brand logoGeForce GTX 980 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 5060 Mobile
brand logoGeForce RTX 2080 Ti
brand logoGeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 1060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 111.2% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (6 GB vs 3 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280.

InsightRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
Performance
❌Lower raw frame rates (-111.2%)
✅Leading raw performance (+111.2%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
Standard Size (278mm)
📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 1060 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 1060 holds the technical lead. Priced at $35 (vs $60), it costs 42% less, resulting in a 23.2% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
Cost Efficiency
❌Lower cost efficiency
✅Better overall value (+23.2%)
Upfront Cost
✅More affordable ($35)
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($60)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low132 FPS
medium92 FPS
high72 FPS
ultra53 FPS
1440p
low86 FPS
medium60 FPS
high46 FPS
ultra33 FPS
4K
low38 FPS
medium29 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra14 FPS
Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low129 FPS
medium111 FPS
high92 FPS
ultra98 FPS
1440p
low108 FPS
medium83 FPS
high75 FPS
ultra78 FPS
4K
low54 FPS
medium46 FPS
high42 FPS
ultra39 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low84 FPS
medium67 FPS
high39 FPS
ultra24 FPS
1440p
low51 FPS
medium39 FPS
high21 FPS
ultra12 FPS
4K
low24 FPS
medium19 FPS
high10 FPS
ultra6 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low217 FPS
medium179 FPS
high153 FPS
ultra122 FPS
1440p
low139 FPS
medium117 FPS
high100 FPS
ultra83 FPS
4K
low80 FPS
medium68 FPS
high63 FPS
ultra51 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low214 FPS
medium172 FPS
high143 FPS
ultra107 FPS
1440p
low161 FPS
medium129 FPS
high107 FPS
ultra80 FPS
4K
low107 FPS
medium86 FPS
high71 FPS
ultra54 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low453 FPS
medium362 FPS
high302 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1440p
low340 FPS
medium272 FPS
high226 FPS
ultra170 FPS
4K
low226 FPS
medium181 FPS
high151 FPS
ultra113 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080p
low194 FPS
medium157 FPS
high123 FPS
ultra90 FPS
1440p
low108 FPS
medium92 FPS
high70 FPS
ultra51 FPS
4K
low45 FPS
medium36 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra16 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080p
low326 FPS
medium279 FPS
high244 FPS
ultra226 FPS
1440p
low284 FPS
medium243 FPS
high214 FPS
ultra170 FPS
4K
low171 FPS
medium141 FPS
high133 FPS
ultra108 FPS
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 and GeForce GTX 1060

AMD

Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,765 points. Launch price was $449.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1060

The GeForce GTX 1060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1733 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,064 points. Launch price was $599.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 scores 4,765 versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 10,064 — the GeForce GTX 1060 leads by 111.2%. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1060). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 8.873 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060). Boost clocks: 1250 MHz vs 1733 MHz.

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
G3D Mark Score
4,765
10,064+111%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Pascal
Process Node
28 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
1792
2560+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.867 TFLOPS
8.873 TFLOPS+209%
Boost Clock
1250 MHz
1733 MHz+39%
ROPs
32
64+100%
TMUs
112
160+43%
L1 Cache
448 KB
960 KB+114%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
2 MB+167%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
Upscaling Tech
FSR 1.0 (Software)
FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 240 GB/s (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060) — a 25% advantage for the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
6 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
240 GB/s+25%
192 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+100%
192-bit
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
2 MB+167%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX
12
12
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6+2%
4.5
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs NVENC (Pascal) (GeForce GTX 1060). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC (Pascal). Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MVC (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 1060).

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
Encoder
VCE 1.0
NVENC (Pascal)
Decoder
UVD 3.2
NVDEC (Pascal)
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MVC
H.264,H.265/HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 draws 200W versus the GeForce GTX 1060's 180W — a 10.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 1060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 278mm vs 173mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
TDP
200W
180W-10%
Recommended PSU
500W
400W-20%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
6-pin
Length
278mm
173mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
—
Perf/Watt
23.8
55.9+135%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 launched at $279 MSRP and currently averages $35, while the GeForce GTX 1060 launched at $249 and now averages $60. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 costs 41.7% less ($25 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 136.1 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 167.7 (GeForce GTX 1060) — the GeForce GTX 1060 offers 23.2% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2012).

FeatureRadeon HD 7950 / R9 280GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP
$279
$249-11%
Avg Price (30d)
$35-42%
$60
Performance per Dollar
136.1
167.7+23%
Codename
Tahiti
GP104
Release
January 31 2012
May 27 2016
Ranking
#454
#137