Radeon R9 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

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 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 R9 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 R9 260

2013

Why buy it

✅9.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌816.7% higher power demand at 275W vs 30W.

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 30W instead of 275W, a 245W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2 (2022−2023) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 260 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 260 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 9.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (3,048 vs 3,000), 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: a 6nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2023 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 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 R9 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 R9 260 vs Radeon Steam Deck 8CU Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 260

The Radeon R9 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,048 points. Launch price was $399.

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 R9 260 scores 3,048 and the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU reaches 3,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 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: 2,560 (Radeon R9 260) vs 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU).

Feature	Radeon R9 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
G3D Mark Score	3,048+2%	3,000
Architecture	GCN 2.0	RDNA 2
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	2560+400%	512
L1 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 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)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 260 and 64-bit on the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU.

Feature	Radeon R9 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 260 draws 275W versus the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU's 30W — a 160.7% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon R9 260) vs 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon R9 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
TDP	275W	30W-89%
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	1mm
Slots	—	0
Perf/Watt	11.1	100.0+801%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 260 came in at $139, while the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Steam Deck 8CU was 100+% cheaper ($139 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.9 (Radeon R9 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 R9 260	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU
MSRP	$139	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	21.9	Infinity
Codename	Hawaii	RDNA 2 Sephiroth
Release	November 5 2013	November 9 2023
Ranking	#316	#480

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