Radeon R9 270X vs Radeon 860M
Radeon R9 270X
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Radeon 860M
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar Radeon 860M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon 860M is significantly newer (2025 vs 2013). The Radeon 860M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 270X lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R9 270X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (4 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon 860M.
| Insight | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.7%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon R9 270X remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 270X and Radeon 860M
Radeon R9 270X
The Radeon R9 270X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,874 points. Launch price was $199.
Radeon 860M
The Radeon 860M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Marchar 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 600 MHz to 3000 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,838 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 270X scores 4,874 and the Radeon 860M reaches 4,838 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 270X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon 860M uses RDNA 3.5, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X) vs 512 (Radeon 860M). Raw compute: 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X) vs 3.072 TFLOPS (Radeon 860M). Boost clocks: 1050 MHz vs 3000 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 4,874 | 4,838 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | RDNA 3.5 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 4 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280+150% | 512 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.688 TFLOPS | 3.072 TFLOPS+14% |
| Boost Clock | 1050 MHz | 3000 MHz+186% |
| ROPs | 32+300% | 8 |
| TMUs | 80+150% | 32 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB+400% | 64 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon R9 270X comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon 860M has 2 GB. The Radeon R9 270X offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs System. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) vs 1 MB (Radeon 860M) — the Radeon 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB+100% | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | 179.2 GB/s | System |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 1 MB+100% |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 270X draws 180W versus the Radeon 860M's 15W — a 169.2% difference. The Radeon 860M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 270X) vs 350W (Radeon 860M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 180W | 15W-92% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 350W-30% |
| Power Connector | 2x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 241mm | — |
| Height | 109mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 80 C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 27.1 | 322.5+1090% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon 860M is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R9 270X | Radeon 860M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $40 | — |
| Codename | Curacao | Krackan Point |
| Release | October 8 2013 | Marchar 2025 |
| Ranking | #448 | #449 |
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