Radeon R9 280 vs Radeon TM

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 Radeon TM

#19

Radeon RX 5600

MSRP: $229|Avg: $150

92%

#45

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

195%

#47

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

177%

#48

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

176%

#52

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

160%

#53

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

159%

#55

Radeon TM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#58

GeForce 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

97%

#62

Radeon 820M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

96%

#65

GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

95%

#66

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

94%

#68

GeForce GTX 850M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon TM is significantly newer (2024 vs 2014). The Radeon TM likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 280 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon TM is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.6% higher G3D Mark score and 33.3% more VRAM (4 GB vs 3 GB). 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	Radeon TM
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.6%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) (4nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+33.3%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon TM 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

Radeon TM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 280 and Radeon TM

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 TM

The Radeon TM is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 15 2024. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 400 MHz to 2900 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,564 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280 scores 5,532 and the Radeon TM reaches 5,564 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon TM uses RDNA 3.5, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 280) vs 1,024 (Radeon TM). Raw compute: 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280) vs 5.939 TFLOPS (Radeon TM). Boost clocks: 933 MHz vs 2900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon TM
G3D Mark Score	5,532	5,564
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 3.5
Process Node	28 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	1792+75%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.344 TFLOPS	5.939 TFLOPS+78%
Boost Clock	933 MHz	2900 MHz+211%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112+75%	64
L1 Cache	448 KB+75%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon TM
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 280 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon TM has 4 GB. The Radeon TM offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280) vs 2 MB (Radeon TM) — the Radeon TM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280	Radeon TM
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280 draws 200W versus the Radeon TM's 15W — a 172.1% difference. The Radeon TM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280) vs 350W (Radeon TM). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.