Radeon R9 260
GPU·Budget

Radeon R9 260

AMD

G3D Mark

3,048

MSRP

$139

AVG Price

$40

November 5 2013
275 Watt
GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

Overview

The Radeon R9 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,048 points. Launch price was $399.

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.

Technical Analysis

Detailed breakdown of Radeon R9 260 specifications and capabilities.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 260 scores 3,048 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Entry Level tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) architecture (codename: Hawaii), manufactured on a 28 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 2560 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 160 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 64 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 4.849 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.

SpecificationRadeon R9 260
G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score3,048
ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generationGCN 2.0 (2013−2017)
CodenameInternal GPU die codenameHawaii
Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient28 nm
Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute2560
TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling160
ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending64
Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency947 MHz
Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance4.849 TFLOPS
Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second151.5 GTexel/s
PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generationPCIe 3.0 x16
Transistor Count6,200 million
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#316
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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 260 is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 128-bit memory bus, delivering Unknown of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.

SpecificationRadeon R9 260
VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures2 GB
VRAM TypeMemory technology generationGDDR5
Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidth128-bit
Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate8 Gbps
BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAMUnknown
L1 Cache640 kB
L2 Cache1024 kB

Advanced Features & APIs

The Radeon R9 260 supports modern upscaling and frame generation technologies: FidelityFX Super Resolution — these can dramatically boost effective FPS by generating intermediate frames or upscaling from lower internal resolution.

SpecificationRadeon R9 260
FSR Frame Generation❌ Not Supported
AMD Fluid Motion Frames❌ Not Supported
FidelityFX Super Resolution✅ Supported
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Display & Media

Display outputs: .

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 260 draws 275 Watt under load (TDP) — a 450W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 1x 6-pin.

SpecificationRadeon R9 260
TDPPower consumption under load275 Watt
Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage450W
Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type1x 6-pin
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Value Analysis

At an average price of $40 (MSRP: $139), the Radeon R9 260 delivers 76 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #316 among all indexed GPUs.

SpecificationRadeon R9 260
MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price$139
Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days$40
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#316
Release DateNovember 5 2013
Release Year2013

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