Radeon HD 8730M vs Radeon R7 M260DX

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 8730M vs Radeon R7 M260DX 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 8730M vs Radeon R7 M260DX: 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 8730M

2013

Why buy it

✅103.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon R7 M260DX

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8730M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8730M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 103.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.2% in PassMark G3D (819 vs 817), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 8730M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 M260DX makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 M260DX is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8730M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8730M vs Radeon R7 M260DX Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8730M

The Radeon HD 8730M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 14 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 819 points.

Radeon R7 M260DX

The Radeon R7 M260DX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 6 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 620 MHz to 715 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 817 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8730M scores 819 and the Radeon R7 M260DX reaches 817 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8730M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R7 M260DX uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 384 (Radeon R7 M260DX). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 0.5491 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M260DX). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 715 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
G3D Mark Score	819	817
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280+233%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS+320%	0.5491 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	900 MHz+26%	715 MHz
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	80+233%	24
L1 Cache	320 KB+233%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
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 8730M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M260DX carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 8730M gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Radeon HD 8730M and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M260DX. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 M260DX) — the Radeon HD 8730M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 12_0 (Radeon R7 M260DX). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12_0
Max Displays	2	0

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8730M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 M260DX). Decoder: UVD 3 vs UVD 4.2.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 3	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX	—

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8730M draws 100W versus the Radeon R7 M260DX's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon R7 M260DX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M260DX). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	—	1mm
Slots	1	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	8.2	10.9+33%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R7 M260DX (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R7 M260DX
MSRP	—	$300
Codename	Neptune	Opal
Release	May 14 2013	December 6 2015
Ranking	#507	#878

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