Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X vs Radeon R9 M395X

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 7970 / R9 280X vs Radeon R9 M395X 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 7970 / R9 280X vs Radeon R9 M395X: 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 7970 / R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅0.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $301 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Delivers 105.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 8.5 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M395X

2015

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
100.7% HIGHER MSRP
$600 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.5 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.5% in PassMark G3D (5,248 vs 5,120), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X 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 HD 7970 / R9 280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $301 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $600, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 105.7% (17.6 vs 8.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X vs Radeon R9 M395X Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R9 M395X

The Radeon R9 M395X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,120 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X scores 5,248 and the Radeon R9 M395X reaches 5,120 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M395X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M395X). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M395X).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Radeon R9 M395X
G3D Mark Score	5,248+3%	5,120
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+38%	2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128	128
L1 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Radeon R9 M395X
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 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M395X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M395X gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 264 GB/s (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M395X) — a 65% advantage for the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M395X. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M395X) — the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Radeon R9 M395X
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	264 GB/s+65%	160 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 M395X's 75W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon R9 M395X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M395X). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Radeon R9 M395X
TDP	200W	75W-63%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	Mobile
Length	275mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80 C	—
Perf/Watt	26.2	68.3+161%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X came in at $299, while the Radeon R9 M395X launched at $600. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X was 50.2% cheaper ($301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 8.5 (Radeon R9 M395X) — the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 107.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M395X (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Radeon R9 M395X
MSRP	$299-50%	$600
Performance per Dollar	17.6+107%	8.5
Codename	Tahiti	Amethyst
Release	October 8 2013	May 5 2015
Ranking	#404	#438

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