Radeon R9 280 vs GeForce GTX 970M

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 970M

#17

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

152%

#19

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

138%

#20

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

138%

#24

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

125%

#25

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

124%

#27

GeForce GTX 970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#35

GeForce GTX 960M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

95%

#37

UHD Graphics 730 (Rocket Lake)

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 970M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.1% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 280.

Insight	Radeon R9 280	GeForce GTX 970M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 970M 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.

Radeon R9 280 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 970M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 280 and GeForce GTX 970M

Radeon R9 280

The Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 4 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 933 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,532 points. Launch price was $279.

GeForce GTX 970M

The GeForce GTX 970M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 924 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 81W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,705 points. Launch price was $2,560.89.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280 scores 5,532 and the GeForce GTX 970M reaches 5,705 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280 is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 970M uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 280) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 970M). Raw compute: 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280) vs 2.657 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970M). Boost clocks: 933 MHz vs 1038 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	GeForce GTX 970M
G3D Mark Score	5,532	5,705+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792+40%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.344 TFLOPS+26%	2.657 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	933 MHz	1038 MHz+11%
ROPs	32	48+50%
TMUs	112+40%	80
L1 Cache	448 KB	480 KB+7%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280	GeForce GTX 970M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 3 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 240 GB/s (Radeon R9 280) vs 120 GB/s (GeForce GTX 970M) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon R9 280. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280) vs 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 970M) — the GeForce GTX 970M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	GeForce GTX 970M
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	240 GB/s+100%	120 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280 draws 200W versus the GeForce GTX 970M's 81W — a 84.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 970M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 970M). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.