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 Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon R9 270X 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 Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon R9 270X: 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 Pro Vega 16

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 180W, a 105W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 270X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with Unknown 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 24.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 270X

2013

Why buy it

✅4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon Pro Vega 16 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R9 270X is the less risky modern option long term.

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.
❌140% higher power demand at 180W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 270X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (4,874 vs 4,809), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R9 270X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 270X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon R9 270X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon Pro Vega 16

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 14 2018. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 815 MHz to 1190 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,809 points.

Radeon R9 270X

The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 4,809 and the Radeon R9 270X reaches 4,874 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is built on GCN 5.0 while the Radeon R9 270X uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X). Raw compute: 2.437 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X). Boost clocks: 1190 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
G3D Mark Score	4,809	4,874+1%
Architecture	GCN 5.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	1280+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.437 TFLOPS	2.688 TFLOPS+10%
Boost Clock	1190 MHz+13%	1050 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	80+25%
L1 Cache	256 KB	320 KB+25%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
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 Pro Vega 16 has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 270X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 270X gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon Pro Vega 16 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) — the Radeon Pro Vega 16 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	256-bit+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 270X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12 (11_1)
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 4.0 (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 270X). Decoder: UVD 7.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 270X).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
Encoder	VCE 4.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 7.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 270X's 180W — a 82.4% difference. The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 500W (Radeon R9 270X). Power connectors: Integrated vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 241mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 80 C.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
TDP	75W-58%	180W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	500W
Power Connector	Integrated	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	241mm
Height	0mm	109mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80	80 C
Perf/Watt	64.1+137%	27.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon Pro Vega 16 came in at $0, while the Radeon R9 270X launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon Pro Vega 16 was 100+% cheaper ($199 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 24.5 (Radeon R9 270X) — the Radeon Pro Vega 16 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro Vega 16 (2018 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon R9 270X
MSRP	$0-100%	$199
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	24.5
Codename	Vega 12	Curacao
Release	November 14 2018	October 8 2013
Ranking	#451	#448

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