Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon RX 5500M

Radeon R9 280X

2013Boost: 1000 MHz

Radeon RX 5500M

2019Core: 1375 MHzBoost: 1645 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon R9 280X

200

6,100

+2.5%

5,954

0.0%

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

Radeon R9 Nano

Radeon HD 7970 / R9 280X

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.

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 RX 5500M

#16

Radeon RX 7600S

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

97%

#36

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

182%

#38

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

165%

#39

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

165%

#43

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

150%

#44

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

149%

#46

Radeon RX 5500M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

100%

#48

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

99%

#49

GeForce 610M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $20

98%

#50

GeForce GTX 1650 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $75

98%

#53

GeForce GTX 980M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

95%

#54

GeForce GTX 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

94%

#58

GeForce 770M

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 RX 5500M is significantly newer (2019 vs 2013). The Radeon RX 5500M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 280X lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 280X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.5% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 5500M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.5%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.5%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm)
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

The Radeon R9 280X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $60 versus $100 for the Radeon RX 5500M, it costs 40% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 70.8% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+70.8%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($60)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100)

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 280X Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5500M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 280X and Radeon RX 5500M

Radeon R9 280X

The Radeon R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,100 points. Launch price was $299.

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Radeon RX 5500M reaches 5,954 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score	6,100+2%	5,954
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2048+45%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS+13%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1645 MHz+65%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+45%	88
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500M has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 5500M offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (Radeon R9 280X) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) — a 28.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 280X. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon RX 5500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+29%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5500M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 80.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon RX 5500M
TDP	200W	85W-57%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	30.5	70.0+130%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 280X costs 40% less ($40 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 101.7 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 59.5 (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon R9 280X offers 70.9% better value. The Radeon RX 5500M is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2013).