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 R5 M420 vs Radeon Vega 2 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 R5 M420 vs Radeon Vega 2: 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 R5 M420

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Vega 2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2016 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌400% higher power demand at 75W vs 15W.

Radeon Vega 2

2021

Why buy it

✅12.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Radeon R5 M420 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Vega 2 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 15W instead of 75W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2021 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 1.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Vega 2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (506 vs 504), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Vega 2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 M420 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 M420 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p headroom, Radeon Vega 2 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R5 M420 vs Radeon Vega 2 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R5 M420

The Radeon R5 M420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 504 points.

Radeon Vega 2

The Radeon Vega 2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 13 2021. It features the GCN 5.1 architecture. The core clock ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 506 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R5 M420 scores 504 and the Radeon Vega 2 reaches 506 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R5 M420 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon Vega 2 uses GCN 5.1, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R5 M420) vs 448 (Radeon Vega 2). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 M420) vs 1.702 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega 2). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
G3D Mark Score	504	506
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 5.1
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	768+71%	448
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.536 TFLOPS	1.702 TFLOPS+11%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1900 MHz+90%
ROPs	16+100%	8
TMUs	48+71%	28
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
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 R5 M420 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega 2 carries 0 MB. Radeon R5 M420 gives you 100+% 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 R5 M420 and System on the Radeon Vega 2.

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R5 M420) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon Vega 2). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	N/A	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	3+50%

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon R5 M420) vs VCN 1.0 (Radeon Vega 2). Decoder: UVD 4.0 vs VCN 1.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R5 M420) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon Vega 2).

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCN 1.0
Decoder	UVD 4.0	VCN 1.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-4,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,H.265,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R5 M420 draws 75W versus the Radeon Vega 2's 15W — a 133.3% difference. The Radeon Vega 2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R5 M420) vs 0W (Radeon Vega 2). Power connectors: Mobile vs None. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 70.

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
TDP	75W	15W-80%
Recommended PSU	350W	0W-100%
Power Connector	Mobile	None
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	80	70-13%
Perf/Watt	6.7	33.7+403%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R5 M420 came in at $300, while the Radeon Vega 2 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Vega 2 was 100+% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.7 (Radeon R5 M420) vs Infinity (Radeon Vega 2) — the Radeon Vega 2 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Vega 2 (2021 vs 2016).

Feature	Radeon R5 M420	Radeon Vega 2
MSRP	$300	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	1.7	Infinity
Codename	Emerald	Cezanne
Release	May 15 2016	April 13 2021
Ranking	#649	#601

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