Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X vs GeForce GTX 950

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 950 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.1% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
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 (275mm)	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X holds the technical lead. Priced at $40 (vs $48), it costs 17% less, resulting in a 17.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+17.6%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($40)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($48)

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 7970 / R9 280X Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 950 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X and GeForce GTX 950

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X 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: 5,248 points. Launch price was $299.

GeForce GTX 950

The GeForce GTX 950 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 20 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1024 MHz to 1188 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,357 points. Launch price was $159.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X scores 5,248 and the GeForce GTX 950 reaches 5,357 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 950 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 768 (GeForce GTX 950). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 1.825 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 950). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1188 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
G3D Mark Score	5,248	5,357+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+167%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+124%	1.825 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1188 MHz+19%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+167%	48
L1 Cache	512 KB+78%	288 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
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 7970 / R9 280X comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 950 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 106 GB/s (GeForce GTX 950) — a 149.1% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 950) — the GeForce GTX 950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	264 GB/s+149%	106 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 12_1 (GeForce GTX 950). Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12_1
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs NVENC 2nd Gen (GeForce GTX 950). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs NVDEC 2nd Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 950).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
Encoder	VCE 1.0	NVENC 2nd Gen
Decoder	UVD 3.2	NVDEC 2nd Gen
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X draws 200W versus the GeForce GTX 950's 90W — a 75.9% difference. The GeForce GTX 950 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 950). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 202mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	GeForce GTX 950
TDP	200W	90W-55%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	275mm	202mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80 C	—
Perf/Watt	26.2	59.5+127%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X launched at $299 MSRP and currently averages $40, while the GeForce GTX 950 launched at $159 and now averages $48. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X costs 16.7% less ($8 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 131.2 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 111.6 (GeForce GTX 950) — the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 17.6% better value. The GeForce GTX 950 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).