Radeon R9 280 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380

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 280 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 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 280 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380: 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 280

2014

Why buy it

✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 285 / 380 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
40.2% HIGHER MSRP
$279 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.8 vs 27.9 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

✅1.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (5,550 vs 5,532), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon R9 280 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 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 285 / 380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $80 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $279, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 40.7% (27.9 vs 19.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R9 280 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 280 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280 scores 5,532 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 280) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score	5,532	5,550
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.344 TFLOPS+2%	3.29 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112	112
L1 Cache	448 KB	448 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285 / 380
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 280 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 280 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 240 GB/s (Radeon R9 280) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — a 36.4% advantage for the Radeon R9 280. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 285 / 380. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon R9 280) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 280 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	240 GB/s+36%	176 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280 draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 5.1% difference. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285 / 380
TDP	200W	190W-5%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	221mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	27.7	29.2+5%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 280 came in at $279, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 285 / 380 was 28.7% cheaper ($80 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 19.8 (Radeon R9 280) vs 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 40.9% better value.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon R9 285 / 380
MSRP	$279	$199-29%
Performance per Dollar	19.8	27.9+41%
Codename	Tahiti	Tonga
Release	March 4 2014	September 2 2014
Ranking	#415	#365

Search Radeon R9 280 on Amazon

Search Radeon R9 285 / 380 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.