Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X vs Tesla K80

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 Tesla K80 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 Tesla K80: 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

✅Costs $4,701 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1536.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.6 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).
✅Draws 200W instead of 300W, a 100W reduction.

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.

Tesla K80

2014

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler 2.0 (2013−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1572.2% HIGHER MSRP
$5,000 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 17.6 G3D/$ ($5,000 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 300W vs 200W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Tesla K80 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (5,363 vs 5,248), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,701 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $5,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1536.4% (17.6 vs 1.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K80 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X vs Tesla K80 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.

Tesla K80

The Tesla K80 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 17 2014. It features the Kepler 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 824 MHz. It has 2496 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,363 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X scores 5,248 and the Tesla K80 reaches 5,363 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tesla K80 uses Kepler 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 2,496 (Tesla K80). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 4.113 TFLOPS ×2 (Tesla K80). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 824 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Tesla K80
G3D Mark Score	5,248	5,363+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Kepler 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2496 ×2+22%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS	4.113 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+21%	824 MHz
ROPs	32	48 ×2+50%
TMUs	128	208 ×2+63%
L1 Cache	512 KB+146%	208 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Tesla K80
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla K80 carries 4 GB. Tesla K80 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X and 128-bit on the Tesla K80. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 1.5 MB (Tesla K80) — the Tesla K80 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Tesla K80
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X draws 200W versus the Tesla K80's 300W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 350W (Tesla K80). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Tesla K80
TDP	200W-33%	300W
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	275mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80 C	—
Perf/Watt	26.2+46%	17.9

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X came in at $299, while the Tesla K80 launched at $5000. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X was 94% cheaper ($4701 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.6 (Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X) vs 1.1 (Tesla K80) — the Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X offers 1500% better value. The newer card here is Tesla K80 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X	Tesla K80
MSRP	$299-94%	$5000
Performance per Dollar	17.6+1500%	1.1
Codename	Tahiti	GK210
Release	October 8 2013	November 17 2014
Ranking	#404	#419

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