Radeon HD 8280E vs Radeon HD 8470

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 8280E vs Radeon HD 8470 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 8280E vs Radeon HD 8470: 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 8280E

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8470 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
200% HIGHER MSRP
$150 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.7 vs 5.0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8470

2012

Why buy it

✅21.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Delivers 190.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.0 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8470 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8280E instead at 256 vs 248, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon HD 8280E is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2013 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8470 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 190.6% (5.0 vs 1.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8470 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8280E has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8280E vs Radeon HD 8470 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8280E

The Radeon HD 8280E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 256 points.

Radeon HD 8470

The Radeon HD 8470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 248 points. Launch price was $349.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8280E scores 256 and the Radeon HD 8470 reaches 248 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8280E is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 8470 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (Radeon HD 8280E) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 8470). Raw compute: 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8280E) vs 2.56 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8470).

Feature	Radeon HD 8280E	Radeon HD 8470
G3D Mark Score	256+3%	248
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	1280+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.992 TFLOPS	2.56 TFLOPS+158%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L1 Cache	160 KB	320 KB+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8280E	Radeon HD 8470
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8280E has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8470 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 8470 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8280E and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8470. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon HD 8280E) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8470) — the Radeon HD 8470 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8280E	Radeon HD 8470
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8280E draws 50W versus the Radeon HD 8470's 200W — a 120% difference. The Radeon HD 8280E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8280E) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8470). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 8280E	Radeon HD 8470
TDP	50W-75%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	1mm	—
Slots	0	—
Perf/Watt	5.1+325%	1.2

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8280E came in at $150, while the Radeon HD 8470 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8470 was 66.7% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.7 (Radeon HD 8280E) vs 5.0 (Radeon HD 8470) — the Radeon HD 8470 offers 194.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8280E (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 8280E	Radeon HD 8470
MSRP	$150	$50-67%
Performance per Dollar	1.7	5.0+194%
Codename	Venus	Pitcairn
Release	April 1 2013	March 5 2012
Ranking	#745	#460

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