Radeon R9 270X vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

AMD

Radeon R9 270X

2013Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon R9 270X vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 R9 270X vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 270X vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition: 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 270X

2013

Why buy it

  • Costs $251 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • Delivers 120.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 11.1 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 180W instead of 250W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014

Why buy it

  • 16.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 126.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $450 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.1 vs 24.5 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 38.9% higher power demand at 250W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 16.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.6% in PassMark G3D (5,000 vs 4,874), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 270X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 270X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $251 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $450, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 120.4% (24.5 vs 11.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 270X vs Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

AMD

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 23 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 270X scores 4,874 and the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition reaches 5,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 270X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition). Raw compute: 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X) vs 3.482 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition).

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
G3D Mark Score
4,874
5,000+3%
Architecture
GCN 1.0
GCN 3.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1280
2048+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.688 TFLOPS
3.482 TFLOPS+30%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
80
128+60%
L1 Cache
320 KB
512 KB+60%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
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 R9 270X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 270X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 179.2 GB/s (Radeon R9 270X) vs 174 GB/s (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) — a 3% advantage for the Radeon R9 270X. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
179.2 GB/s+3%
174 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 270X draws 180W versus the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition's 250W — a 32.6% difference. The Radeon R9 270X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 270X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
TDP
180W-28%
250W
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Mobile
Length
241mm
Height
109mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
80 C
Perf/Watt
27.1+36%
20.0
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 270X came in at $199, while the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition launched at $450. On MSRP, Radeon R9 270X was 55.8% cheaper ($251 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 24.5 (Radeon R9 270X) vs 11.1 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) — the Radeon R9 270X offers 120.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRadeon R9 M295X Mac Edition
MSRP
$199-56%
$450
Performance per Dollar
24.5+121%
11.1
Codename
Curacao
Amethyst
Release
October 8 2013
November 23 2014
Ranking
#448
#436

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