Radeon R3 vs Radeon R5E

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 R3 vs Radeon R5E 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 R3 vs Radeon R5E: 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 R3

2019

Why buy it

✅21.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 6.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Radeon R5E is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌233.3% higher power demand at 50W vs 15W.

Radeon R5E

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R3 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB 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 6.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R3 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5E instead at 315 vs 314, 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 R3 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 14nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R3 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon R3 vs Radeon R5E Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R3

The Radeon R3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 13 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1218 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 314 points.

Radeon R5E

The Radeon R5E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 20 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 315 points. Launch price was $109.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R3 scores 314 and the Radeon R5E reaches 315 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R3 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon R5E uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon R3) vs 512 (Radeon R5E). Raw compute: 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon R3) vs 0.8192 TFLOPS (Radeon R5E).

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
G3D Mark Score	314	315
Architecture	GCN 4.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.247 TFLOPS+52%	0.8192 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	128 KB	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon R3 and 64-bit on the Radeon R5E. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R3) vs 256 KB (Radeon R5E) — the Radeon R3 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R3) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R5E). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
DirectX	12 (12_0)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R5E). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R3) vs H.264,MPEG-4 (Radeon R5E).

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,MPEG-4

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R3 draws 50W versus the Radeon R5E's 15W — a 107.7% difference. The Radeon R5E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R3) vs 0W (Radeon R5E). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 75.

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
TDP	50W	15W-70%
Recommended PSU	350W	0W-100%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	None
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	70°C-7%	75
Perf/Watt	6.3	21.0+233%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R3 came in at $50, while the Radeon R5E launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon R5E was 100+% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.3 (Radeon R3) vs Infinity (Radeon R5E) — the Radeon R5E offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R3 (2019 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R3	Radeon R5E
MSRP	$50	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	6.3	Infinity
Codename	Polaris 23	Cape Verde
Release	May 13 2019	December 20 2013
Ranking	#757	#738

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