Radeon PRO W6300 vs Radeon R9 280

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 W6300 vs Radeon R9 280 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 W6300 vs Radeon R9 280: 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 W6300

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.8 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 25W instead of 200W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅16.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
39.5% HIGHER MSRP
$279 MSRPvs$200 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.8 vs 27.8 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌700% higher power demand at 200W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 280 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon PRO W6300 instead at 5,560 vs 5,532, 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 PRO W6300 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 6nm process instead of 28nm, 12 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon PRO W6300 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $79 cheaper on MSRP at $200 vs $279, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 40.2% (27.8 vs 19.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 280 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon PRO W6300 vs Radeon R9 280 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon PRO W6300

The Radeon PRO W6300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1512 MHz to 2040 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 12 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,560 points.

Radeon R9 280

The Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 4 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 933 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,532 points. Launch price was $279.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon PRO W6300 scores 5,560 and the Radeon R9 280 reaches 5,532 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon PRO W6300 is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon R9 280 uses GCN 1.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon PRO W6300) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 280). Raw compute: 3.133 TFLOPS (Radeon PRO W6300) vs 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280). Boost clocks: 2040 MHz vs 933 MHz.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6300	Radeon R9 280
G3D Mark Score	5,560	5,532
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	1792+133%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.133 TFLOPS	3.344 TFLOPS+7%
Boost Clock	2040 MHz+119%	933 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	48	112+133%
L1 Cache	256 KB	448 KB+75%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon PRO W6300	Radeon R9 280
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 PRO W6300 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280 carries 3 GB. Radeon R9 280 gives you 50% 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 PRO W6300 and 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon PRO W6300) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon PRO W6300 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6300	Radeon R9 280
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	3 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	384-bit+200%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon PRO W6300 draws 25W versus the Radeon R9 280's 200W — a 155.6% difference. The Radeon PRO W6300 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon PRO W6300) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6300	Radeon R9 280
TDP	25W-88%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W-30%	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Perf/Watt	222.4+703%	27.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon PRO W6300 came in at $200, while the Radeon R9 280 launched at $279. On MSRP, Radeon PRO W6300 was 28.3% cheaper ($79 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 27.8 (Radeon PRO W6300) vs 19.8 (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon PRO W6300 offers 40.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon PRO W6300 (2022 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon PRO W6300	Radeon R9 280
MSRP	$200-28%	$279
Performance per Dollar	27.8+40%	19.8
Codename	Navi 24	Tahiti
Release	January 19 2022	March 4 2014
Ranking	#413	#415

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