Radeon R9 280X vs Tesla M6

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 Tesla M6 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 280X vs Tesla M6: 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

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $701 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 227.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.4 vs 6.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,000 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.
❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Tesla M6

2015

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
234.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$299 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.2 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Tesla M6 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2% in PassMark G3D (6,225 vs 6,100), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

Radeon R9 280X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 280X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $701 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $1,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 227.7% (20.4 vs 6.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla M6 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 280X vs Tesla M6 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.

Tesla M6

The Tesla M6 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 930 MHz to 1180 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,225 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Tesla M6 reaches 6,225 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tesla M6 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 1,536 (Tesla M6). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 3.625 TFLOPS (Tesla M6). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1180 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
G3D Mark Score	6,100	6,225+2%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+33%	1536
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+13%	3.625 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1180 MHz+18%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	128+33%	96
L1 Cache	512 KB	576 KB+13%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M6 carries 4 GB. Tesla M6 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 256-bit on the Tesla M6. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2 MB (Tesla M6) — the Tesla M6 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X) vs 12 (Tesla M6). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12
Max Displays	3	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X) vs NVENC 5th Gen (Tesla M6). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC 2nd Gen.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
Encoder	VCE 2.0	NVENC 5th Gen
Decoder	UVD 4.2	NVDEC 2nd Gen
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Tesla M6's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Tesla M6 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 350W (Tesla M6). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
TDP	200W	100W-50%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	1mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	30.5	62.3+104%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 280X came in at $299, while the Tesla M6 launched at $1000. On MSRP, Radeon R9 280X was 70.1% cheaper ($701 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 6.2 (Tesla M6) — the Radeon R9 280X offers 229% better value. The newer card here is Tesla M6 (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Tesla M6
MSRP	$299-70%	$1000
Performance per Dollar	20.4+229%	6.2
Codename	Tahiti	GM204
Release	October 8 2013	August 30 2015
Ranking	#404	#388

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