Radeon R7 A8-7500 vs Radeon R9 M280X

AMD

Radeon R7 A8-7500

2015Boost: 975 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon R7 A8-7500 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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 A8-7500 vs Radeon R9 M280X 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 A8-7500 vs Radeon R9 M280X: 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 A8-7500

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Delivers 149.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.1 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

  • 6.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 150% HIGHER MSRP
    $250 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 3.3 vs 8.1 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.4% in PassMark G3D (814 vs 811), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R7 A8-7500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R7 A8-7500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $250, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 149.1% (8.1 vs 3.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M280X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R7 A8-7500 vs Radeon R9 M280X Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R7 A8-7500

The Radeon R7 A8-7500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 811 points. Launch price was $149.

AMD

Radeon R9 M280X

The Radeon R9 M280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 814 points. Launch price was $299.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R7 A8-7500 scores 811 and the Radeon R9 M280X reaches 814 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 A8-7500 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon R7 A8-7500) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 1.997 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 A8-7500) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X). Boost clocks: 975 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R7 A8-7500Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score
811
814
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1024
2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.997 TFLOPS
4.096 TFLOPS+105%
Boost Clock
975 MHz
1000 MHz+3%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
64
128+100%
L1 Cache
256 KB
512 KB+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
768 KB+50%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R7 A8-7500Radeon R9 M280X
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 A8-7500 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M280X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M280X 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 A8-7500 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R7 A8-7500) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R7 A8-7500Radeon R9 M280X
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
4 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
80 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
768 KB+50%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R7 A8-7500 draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R7 A8-7500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R7 A8-7500) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: None vs Mobile.

FeatureRadeon R7 A8-7500Radeon R9 M280X
TDP
100W-50%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
None
Mobile
Perf/Watt
8.1+98%
4.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R7 A8-7500 came in at $100, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon R7 A8-7500 was 60% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.1 (Radeon R7 A8-7500) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R7 A8-7500 offers 145.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 A8-7500 (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon R7 A8-7500Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP
$100-60%
$250
Performance per Dollar
8.1+145%
3.3
Codename
Trinidad
Tahiti
Release
June 18 2015
October 8 2013
Ranking
#467
#404

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