Radeon R9 255 vs Radeon RX Vega 6

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 R9 255 vs Radeon RX Vega 6 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 R9 255 vs Radeon RX Vega 6: 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 R9 255

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon RX Vega 6 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon R9 255 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 190W instead of 295W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega 6 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon RX Vega 6

2017

Why buy it

✅8.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 10.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $139 MSRP).
❌55.3% higher power demand at 295W vs 190W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX Vega 6 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 255 instead at 1,501 vs 1,492, 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 R9 255 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 255 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon RX Vega 6 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 255 vs Radeon RX Vega 6 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 255

The Radeon R9 255 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,501 points. Launch price was $249.

Radeon RX Vega 6

The Radeon RX Vega 6 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 7 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1247 MHz to 1546 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 295W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,492 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 255 scores 1,501 and the Radeon RX Vega 6 reaches 1,492 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 255 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon RX Vega 6 uses GCN 5.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 255) vs 4,096 (Radeon RX Vega 6). Raw compute: 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 255) vs 12.66 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 6).

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon RX Vega 6
G3D Mark Score	1,501	1,492
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 5.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1792	4096+129%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.29 TFLOPS	12.66 TFLOPS+285%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	112	256+129%
L1 Cache	0.44 MB	1 MB+127%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon RX Vega 6
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 R9 255 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega 6 carries 0 MB. Radeon R9 255 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 R9 255 and System on the Radeon RX Vega 6. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 255) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX Vega 6) — the Radeon RX Vega 6 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon RX Vega 6
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	4 MB+700%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 255 draws 190W versus the Radeon RX Vega 6's 295W — a 43.3% difference. The Radeon R9 255 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (Radeon R9 255) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 6). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon RX Vega 6
TDP	190W-36%	295W
Recommended PSU	400W	1W-100%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Integrated
Perf/Watt	7.9+55%	5.1

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 255 came in at $139, while the Radeon RX Vega 6 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega 6 was 100+% cheaper ($139 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.8 (Radeon R9 255) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega 6) — the Radeon RX Vega 6 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 6 (2017 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 255	Radeon RX Vega 6
MSRP	$139	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	10.8	Infinity
Codename	Tonga	Vega 10
Release	September 2 2014	August 7 2017
Ranking	#365	#171

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