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 R7 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 R7 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU: 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 R7 260

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Steam Deck 8CU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌216.7% higher power demand at 95W vs 30W.
❌16900% longer card at 170mm vs 1mm.

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023

Why buy it

✅120.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 95W, a 65W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 170mm, a 169mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 26.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 120.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.7% in PassMark G3D (3,000 vs 2,892), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, a 6nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 260 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 R7 260 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R7 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R7 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
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 R7 260 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU carries 2 GB. Radeon Steam Deck 8CU 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 R7 260 and 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU. 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

At launch, the Radeon R7 260 came in at $109, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU was 100+% cheaper ($109 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.5 (Radeon R7 260) vs Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Steam Deck 8CU (2023 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R7 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
MSRP	$109	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	26.5	Infinity
Codename	Bonaire	RDNA 2 Sephiroth
Release	December 17 2013	November 9 2023
Ranking	#591	#480

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