Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) vs Radeon R7 M260X

AMD

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

2014Core: 720 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R7 M260X

2015Core: 620 MHzBoost: 715 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) vs Radeon R7 M260X Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) vs Radeon R7 M260X 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 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) vs Radeon R7 M260X: 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 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

2014

Why buy it

  • 96.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $90 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).
  • Delivers 180% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 7.3 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).
  • Draws 30W instead of 75W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R7 M260X

2015

Why buy it

  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 183.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $139 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.3 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).
  • 150% higher power demand at 75W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 96.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 M260X instead at 1,013 vs 1,000, 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 R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) makes the most sense to buy today. It is $90 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $139, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 180% (20.4 vs 7.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) vs Radeon R7 M260X Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 14 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock speed is 720 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,000 points.

AMD

Radeon R7 M260X

The Radeon R7 M260X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 6 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 620 MHz to 715 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,013 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) scores 1,000 and the Radeon R7 M260X reaches 1,013 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is built on GCN while the Radeon R7 M260X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) vs 384 (Radeon R7 M260X).

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
G3D Mark Score
1,000
1,013+1%
Architecture
GCN
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
384
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
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 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M260X carries 4 GB. Radeon R7 M260X gives you 700% 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 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M260X.

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
4 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon R7 M260X). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 2.

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
DirectX
12_0
12 (11_1)
Max Displays
3+50%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R7 M260X). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 3.0.

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
Encoder
VCE 2.0
VCE 1.0
Decoder
UVD 4.2
UVD 3.0
Codecs
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) draws 30W versus the Radeon R7 M260X's 75W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M260X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
TDP
30W-60%
75W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
33.3+147%
13.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) came in at $49, while the Radeon R7 M260X launched at $139. On MSRP, Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) was 64.7% cheaper ($90 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)) vs 7.3 (Radeon R7 M260X) — the Radeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop) offers 179.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 M260X (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureRadeon R7 384 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)Radeon R7 M260X
MSRP
$49-65%
$139
Performance per Dollar
20.4+179%
7.3
Codename
Kaveri Spectre
Opal
Release
January 14 2014
December 6 2015
Ranking
#865
#878

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