Radeon R7 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
Radeon R7 260
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Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
About G3D Mark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is significantly newer (2023 vs 2013). The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R7 260 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (2 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R7 260.
| Insight | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | RDNA 2 (2022−2023) (6nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R7 260 and Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
Radeon R7 260
The Radeon R7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 17 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1100 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,892 points. Launch price was $109.
Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R7 260 scores 2,892 and the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU reaches 3,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 260 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU uses RDNA 2, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R7 260) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Boost clocks: 1100 MHz vs 1900 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,892 | 3,000+4% |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 6 nm |
| Shading Units | 768+50% | 512 |
| Boost Clock | 1100 MHz | 1900 MHz+73% |
| L1 Cache | 192 KB | 512 KB+167% |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 1 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon R7 260 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has 2 GB. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon R7 260) vs 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 1 MB+300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 260) vs 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12_0 |
| Max Displays | 3 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 260) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 3.0.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | VCN 3.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | VCN 3.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R7 260 draws 95W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 104% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (Radeon R7 260) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 170mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 95W | 30W-68% |
| Recommended PSU | 400W | 350W-13% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 170mm | 1mm |
| Height | 112mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 80 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 30.4 | 100.0+229% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R7 260 launched at $109 MSRP and currently averages $110, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0 and now averages $0. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU costs 100+% less ($110 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 26.3 (Radeon R7 260) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R7 260 | Radeon Steam Deck 8CU |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $109 | $0-100% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $110 | $0-100% |
| Performance per Dollar | 26.3 | Infinity |
| Codename | Bonaire | RDNA 2 Sephiroth |
| Release | December 17 2013 | November 9 2023 |
| Ranking | #591 | #480 |
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