Radeon R9 280X
RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Radeon R9 280X vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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 280X vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Radeon R9 280X vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU: 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 280X
2013Why buy it
- ✅1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌900% higher power demand at 200W vs 20W.
RTX A500 Embedded GPU
2022Why buy it
- ✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
- ✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
- ✅Draws 20W instead of 200W, a 180W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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Radeon R9 280X vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
RTX A500 Embedded GPU
The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 435 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,197 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the RTX A500 Embedded GPU reaches 6,197 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2,048 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 5.468 TFLOPS (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1335 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 6,100 | 6,197+2% |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Ampere |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 8 nm |
| Shading Units | 2048 | 2048 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 4.096 TFLOPS | 5.468 TFLOPS+33% |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1335 MHz+34% |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 128+100% | 64 |
| L1 Cache | 0.5 MB | 2 MB+300% |
| L2 Cache | 0.75 MB | 2 MB+167% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The RTX A500 Embedded GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 280X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| 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 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU carries 4 GB. RTX A500 Embedded GPU gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280X and 128-bit on the RTX A500 Embedded GPU. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2 MB (RTX A500 Embedded GPU) — the RTX A500 Embedded GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X) vs 12_2 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12_2 |
| Max Displays | 3 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X) vs NVENC 7th Gen (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC 5th Gen.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | NVENC 7th Gen |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | NVDEC 5th Gen |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 | — |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 20W — a 163.6% difference. The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 350W (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 200W | 20W-90% |
| Recommended PSU | 500W | 350W-30% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | — | 82mm |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 30.5 | 309.9+916% |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is RTX A500 Embedded GPU (2022 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R9 280X | RTX A500 Embedded GPU |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $299 | — |
| Codename | Tahiti | GA107S |
| Release | October 8 2013 | March 30 2022 |
| Ranking | #404 | #389 |
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