Radeon HD 8730M vs Radeon R9 M280X

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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X: 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

✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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 3.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

✅3.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8730M instead at 819 vs 814, 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 8730M 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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X 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 R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X 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: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8730M scores 819 and the Radeon R9 M280X reaches 814 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8730M is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score	819	814
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	2048+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+78%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1000 MHz+11%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	128+60%
L1 Cache	320 KB	512 KB+60%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R9 M280X
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 R9 M280X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M280X gives you 100% 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 R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8730M	Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	80 GB/s
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8730M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon HD 8730M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8730M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.