Radeon R9 270X vs RTXA5000-8Q

AMD

Radeon R9 270X

2013Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

RTXA5000-8Q

2021Core: 1170 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon R9 270X vs RTXA5000-8Q 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 RTXA5000-8Q: 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 $2,301 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1145.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 180W instead of 230W, a 50W reduction.

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.

RTXA5000-8Q

2021

Why buy it

  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 1156.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 24.5 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 27.8% higher power demand at 230W vs 180W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTXA5000-8Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (4,916 vs 4,874), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTXA5000-8Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 64 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 270X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,301 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1145.5% (24.5 vs 2.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 270X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RTXA5000-8Q has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 270X vs RTXA5000-8Q 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.

NVIDIA

RTXA5000-8Q

The RTXA5000-8Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1170 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 8192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 230W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 64 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,916 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 270X scores 4,874 and the RTXA5000-8Q reaches 4,916 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 270X is built on GCN 1.0 while the RTXA5000-8Q uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 270X) vs 8,192 (RTXA5000-8Q). Raw compute: 2.688 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270X) vs 27.77 TFLOPS (RTXA5000-8Q). Boost clocks: 1050 MHz vs 1695 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRTXA5000-8Q
G3D Mark Score
4,874
4,916
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1280
8192+540%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.688 TFLOPS
27.77 TFLOPS+933%
Boost Clock
1050 MHz
1695 MHz+61%
ROPs
32
96+200%
TMUs
80
256+220%
L1 Cache
0.31 MB
8 MB+2481%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
6 MB+1100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTXA5000-8Q gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 270X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRTXA5000-8Q
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 270X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the RTXA5000-8Q 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 bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon R9 270X and 64-bit on the RTXA5000-8Q. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270X) vs 6 MB (RTXA5000-8Q) — the RTXA5000-8Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRTXA5000-8Q
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
6 MB+1100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 270X draws 180W versus the RTXA5000-8Q's 230W — a 24.4% difference. The Radeon R9 270X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 270X) vs 350W (RTXA5000-8Q). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRTXA5000-8Q
TDP
180W-22%
230W
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+27%
21.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 270X came in at $199, while the RTXA5000-8Q launched at $2500. On MSRP, Radeon R9 270X was 92% cheaper ($2301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 24.5 (Radeon R9 270X) vs 2.0 (RTXA5000-8Q) — the Radeon R9 270X offers 1125% better value. The newer card here is RTXA5000-8Q (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon R9 270XRTXA5000-8Q
MSRP
$199-92%
$2500
Performance per Dollar
24.5+1125%
2.0
Codename
Curacao
GA102
Release
October 8 2013
April 12 2021
Ranking
#448
#53

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