Radeon R7 M260DX vs Radeon R9 M280X

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 M260DX 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 M260DX 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 M260DX

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 200W, a 125W 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.
❌
20% HIGHER MSRP
$300 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 3.3 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M280X

2013

Why buy it

✅111.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅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.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 75W.

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 111.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 M260DX instead at 817 vs 814, 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 M260DX 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 R9 M280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 19.6% (3.3 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M280X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R7 M260DX has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R7 M260DX vs Radeon R9 M280X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R7 M260DX

The Radeon R7 M260DX 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: 817 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R7 M260DX scores 817 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 M260DX is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M280X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (Radeon R7 M260DX) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M280X). Raw compute: 0.5491 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M260DX) vs 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M280X). Boost clocks: 715 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R7 M260DX	Radeon R9 M280X
G3D Mark Score	817	814
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	2048+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5491 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS+646%
Boost Clock	715 MHz	1000 MHz+40%
ROPs	8	32+300%
TMUs	24	128+433%
L1 Cache	96 KB	512 KB+433%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R7 M260DX	Radeon 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R7 M260DX 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 M260DX and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M280X. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R7 M260DX) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R7 M260DX	Radeon 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	256 KB	768 KB+200%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R7 M260DX draws 75W versus the Radeon R9 M280X's 200W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon R7 M260DX is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R7 M260DX) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M280X). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon R7 M260DX	Radeon R9 M280X
TDP	75W-63%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	Mobile
Length	1mm	—
Slots	0	—
Perf/Watt	10.9+166%	4.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R7 M260DX came in at $300, while the Radeon R9 M280X launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M280X was 16.7% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (Radeon R7 M260DX) vs 3.3 (Radeon R9 M280X) — the Radeon R9 M280X offers 22.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R7 M260DX (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R7 M260DX	Radeon R9 M280X
MSRP	$300	$250-17%
Performance per Dollar	2.7	3.3+22%
Codename	Opal	Tahiti
Release	December 6 2015	October 8 2013
Ranking	#878	#404

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