Radeon R3E vs Radeon R5 230

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 R3E vs Radeon R5 230 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 R3E vs Radeon R5 230: 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 R3E

2019

Why buy it

✅13.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Radeon R5 230 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R3E is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 168mm, a 167mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2019 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 4.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon R5 230

2017

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R3E across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌16700% longer card at 168mm vs 1mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R3E is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (225 vs 222), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R3E 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 2017. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 230 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 R5 230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R3E has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R3E vs Radeon R5 230 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R3E

The Radeon R3E 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: 225 points.

Radeon R5 230

The Radeon R5 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R3E scores 225 and the Radeon R5 230 reaches 222 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R3E is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon R5 230 uses GCN 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon R3E) vs 384 (Radeon R5 230). Raw compute: 1.247 TFLOPS (Radeon R3E) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 230). Boost clocks: 1218 MHz vs 1024 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
G3D Mark Score	225+1%	222
Architecture	GCN 4.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512+33%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.247 TFLOPS+59%	0.7864 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1218 MHz+19%	1024 MHz
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	32+33%	24
L1 Cache	128 KB+33%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon R3E and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 230. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R3E) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 230) — the Radeon R3E has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon R3E) vs 11.2 (Radeon R5 230). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
DirectX	12_0+7%	11.2
Max Displays	0	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R3E) vs UVD 2.2 (Radeon R5 230). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 2.2.

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
Encoder	VCE 2.0	UVD 2.2
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 2.2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R3E draws 50W versus the Radeon R5 230's 50W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R5 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R3E) vs 350W (Radeon R5 230). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 168mm, occupying 0 vs 1 slots.

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
TDP	50W	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	1mm	168mm
Slots	0-100%	1
Perf/Watt	4.5+2%	4.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R3E came in at $0, while the Radeon R5 230 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon R3E was 100+% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Radeon R3E) vs 4.4 (Radeon R5 230) — the Radeon R3E offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R3E (2019 vs 2017).

Feature	Radeon R3E	Radeon R5 230
MSRP	$0-100%	$50
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	4.4
Codename	Polaris 23	Weston
Release	May 13 2019	April 18 2017
Ranking	#757	#873

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