Radeon R9 M385 vs Radeon RX 540

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 M385 vs Radeon RX 540 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 M385 vs Radeon RX 540: 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 M385

2015

Why buy it

✅18.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
203% HIGHER MSRP
$300 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.9 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.

Radeon RX 540

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 213.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 6.9 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Radeon R9 M385 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 540 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M385 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 4 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 M385 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 18.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 540 instead at 2,134 vs 2,061, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon RX 540 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 M385 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 540 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $201 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 213.8% (21.6 vs 6.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M385 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 M385 vs Radeon RX 540 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 M385

The Radeon R9 M385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,061 points.

Radeon RX 540

The Radeon RX 540 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 11 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1124 MHz to 1219 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,134 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M385 scores 2,061 and the Radeon RX 540 reaches 2,134 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M385 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 540 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R9 M385) vs 512 (Radeon RX 540). Raw compute: 1.792 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385) vs 1.248 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 540). Boost clocks: 1100 MHz vs 1219 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385	Radeon RX 540
G3D Mark Score	2,061	2,134+4%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	896+75%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.792 TFLOPS+44%	1.248 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1100 MHz	1219 MHz+11%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	56+75%	32
L1 Cache	224 KB+75%	128 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 540 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 M385 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385	Radeon RX 540
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 96 GB/s (Radeon R9 M385) vs 80 GB/s (Radeon RX 540) — a 20% advantage for the Radeon R9 M385. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M385 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 540. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R9 M385) vs 512 KB (Radeon RX 540) — the Radeon RX 540 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385	Radeon RX 540
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	96 GB/s+20%	80 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M385 draws 75W versus the Radeon RX 540's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon RX 540 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M385) vs 350W (Radeon RX 540). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon R9 M385	Radeon RX 540
TDP	75W	50W-33%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	PCIe-powered
Length	—	1mm
Slots	—	0
Perf/Watt	27.5	42.7+55%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M385 came in at $300, while the Radeon RX 540 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon RX 540 was 67% cheaper ($201 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.9 (Radeon R9 M385) vs 21.6 (Radeon RX 540) — the Radeon RX 540 offers 213% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 540 (2017 vs 2015).

Feature	Radeon R9 M385	Radeon RX 540
MSRP	$300	$99-67%
Performance per Dollar	6.9	21.6+213%
Codename	Strato	Lexa
Release	May 5 2015	November 11 2017
Ranking	#674	#602

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