Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 vs Radeon 860M

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 Radeon 860M

#329

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

897%

#331

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

813%

#332

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

811%

#336

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

738%

#337

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

733%

#339

Radeon 860M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#340

RADEON HD6410D

MSRP: $35|Avg: $5

100%

#341

GeForce 820M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

100%

#342

Radeon R7 M465X

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

98%

#344

GeForce 830A

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

97%

#348

GeForce MX350

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

93%

#349

GeForce 840A

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

92%

#350

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

92%

#351

HD Graphics 630

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

92%

#354

Radeon R7 M370

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon 860M is significantly newer (2025 vs 2012). The Radeon 860M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon 860M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.5% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280	Radeon 860M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.5%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.5%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+50%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (278mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon 860M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

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

Radeon 860M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 and Radeon 860M

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.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 scores 4,765 and the Radeon 860M reaches 4,838 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon 860M uses RDNA 3.5, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 512 (Radeon 860M). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 3.072 TFLOPS (Radeon 860M). Boost clocks: 1250 MHz vs 3000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280	Radeon 860M
G3D Mark Score	4,765	4,838+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 3.5
Process Node	28 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	1792+250%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS	3.072 TFLOPS+7%
Boost Clock	1250 MHz	3000 MHz+140%
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	112+250%	32
L1 Cache	448 KB+600%	64 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280	Radeon 860M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 860M has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 1 MB (Radeon 860M) — the Radeon 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280	Radeon 860M
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	240 GB/s	System
Bus Width	384-bit	System
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280 draws 200W versus the Radeon 860M's 15W — a 172.1% difference. The Radeon 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280) vs 350W (Radeon 860M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7950 / R9 280	Radeon 860M
TDP	200W	15W-93%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	278mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	23.8	322.5+1255%