Radeon R9 285
GPU·Budget

Radeon R9 285

AMD

G3D Mark

6,680

MSRP

$249

AVG Price

$40

September 2 2014
190 Watt
GCN 3.0 (2014−2019)

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 285 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,680 points. Launch price was $249.

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 Radeon R9 285

#74
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
MSRP: $299|Avg: $15
176%
#75
GeForce GTX 660
MSRP: $229|Avg: $15
161%
#76
GeForce GTX 670
MSRP: $399|Avg: $20
161%
#77
GeForce GTX 780
MSRP: $499|Avg: $35
136%
#78
GeForce GTX 780 Ti
MSRP: $699|Avg: $42
135%
#79
GeForce GTX 980
MSRP: $549|Avg: $50
133%
#80
Radeon RX 470/570
MSRP: $179|Avg: $40
119%
#81
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
MSRP: $199|Avg: $50
118%
#82
GeForce GTX 970
MSRP: $329|Avg: $50
115%
#83
Radeon R9 Fury
MSRP: $549|Avg: $50
114%
#84
Radeon RX Vega 56
MSRP: $399|Avg: $75
104%
#85
GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448
MSRP: $289|Avg: $30
104%
#86
GeForce GTX 1080
MSRP: $599|Avg: $91
103%
#87
GeForce GTX 1070
MSRP: $379|Avg: $80
101%
#88
GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP: $249|Avg: $60
100%
#89
Radeon R9 285
MSRP: $249|Avg: $40
100%
#90
Radeon RX Vega 64
MSRP: $499|Avg: $85
98%
#91
Radeon R9 290
MSRP: $399|Avg: $50
98%
#92
GeForce GTX 760
MSRP: $249|Avg: $30
96%
#93
GeForce GTX 570
MSRP: $349|Avg: $25
94%
#94
Radeon RX 480
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
93%
#95
GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB
MSRP: $249|Avg: $65
93%
#96
GeForce GTX 580
MSRP: $499|Avg: $30
92%
#97
Radeon RX 5300
MSRP: $129|Avg: $50
91%
#98
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
MSRP: $279|Avg: $85
90%
#99
Radeon RX 580
MSRP: $229|Avg: $59
89%
#100
GeForce GTX 770
MSRP: $399|Avg: $40
89%
#101
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
MSRP: $399|Avg: $99
89%
#102
Radeon R9 270
MSRP: $179|Avg: $30
86%
#103
Radeon RX 590
MSRP: $279|Avg: $65
86%
#104
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB
MSRP: $249|Avg: $65
85%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

FPS Benchmarks

Predicted performance for Radeon R9 285 across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 7800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low129 FPS
medium98 FPS
high78 FPS
ultra52 FPS
1440p
low73 FPS
medium53 FPS
high39 FPS
ultra27 FPS
4k
low27 FPS
medium19 FPS
high15 FPS
ultra11 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077

1080p
low45 FPS
medium34 FPS
high21 FPS
ultra13 FPS
1440p
low30 FPS
medium23 FPS
high14 FPS
ultra9 FPS
4k
low15 FPS
medium10 FPS
high7 FPS
ultra4 FPS
Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight

1080p
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1440p
low60 FPS
medium59 FPS
high55 FPS
ultra47 FPS
4k
low56 FPS
medium52 FPS
high47 FPS
ultra39 FPS
Deadlock

Deadlock

1080p
low81 FPS
medium72 FPS
high51 FPS
ultra41 FPS
1440p
low66 FPS
medium60 FPS
high43 FPS
ultra36 FPS
4k
low30 FPS
medium26 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra19 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low301 FPS
medium240 FPS
high200 FPS
ultra150 FPS
1440p
low225 FPS
medium180 FPS
high150 FPS
ultra113 FPS
4k
low150 FPS
medium120 FPS
high100 FPS
ultra75 FPS
Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2

1080p
low301 FPS
medium240 FPS
high200 FPS
ultra150 FPS
1440p
low225 FPS
medium180 FPS
high150 FPS
ultra113 FPS
4k
low150 FPS
medium120 FPS
high100 FPS
ultra75 FPS
Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds

1080p
low58 FPS
medium50 FPS
high38 FPS
ultra27 FPS
1440p
low47 FPS
medium41 FPS
high32 FPS
ultra23 FPS
4k
low26 FPS
medium23 FPS
high20 FPS
ultra15 FPS
Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low81 FPS
medium69 FPS
high57 FPS
ultra37 FPS
1440p
low71 FPS
medium62 FPS
high45 FPS
ultra29 FPS
4k
low26 FPS
medium24 FPS
high16 FPS
ultra14 FPS
Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia

1080p
low99 FPS
medium83 FPS
high69 FPS
ultra48 FPS
1440p
low66 FPS
medium57 FPS
high49 FPS
ultra38 FPS
4k
low31 FPS
medium27 FPS
high25 FPS
ultra18 FPS
Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley

1080p
low60 FPS
medium59 FPS
high59 FPS
ultra57 FPS
1440p
low49 FPS
medium48 FPS
high48 FPS
ultra45 FPS
4k
low43 FPS
medium43 FPS
high43 FPS
ultra39 FPS

Technical Analysis

Detailed breakdown of Radeon R9 285 specifications and capabilities.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 285 scores 6,680 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Budget tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) architecture (codename: Tonga), manufactured on a 28 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 1792 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 112 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 3.29 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score6,680
ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generationGCN 3.0 (2014−2019)
CodenameInternal GPU die codenameTonga
Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient28 nm
Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute1792
TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling112
ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending32
Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency918 MHz
Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance3.29 TFLOPS
Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second102.8 GTexel/s
PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generationPCIe 3.0 x16
Transistor Count5,000 million
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#365
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 285 is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 256-bit memory bus, delivering 176 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures4 GB
VRAM TypeMemory technology generationGDDR5
Memory BusWidth of data path — wider = more bandwidth256-bit
Memory SpeedEffective memory data rate8 Gbps
BandwidthMaximum data throughput between GPU and VRAM176 GB/s
L1 Cache448 kB
L2 Cache512 kB

Advanced Features & APIs

The Radeon R9 285 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. Graphics API support: DirectX 12.0, Vulkan 1.2, OpenGL 4.4— latest API versions enable the most advanced rendering features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
FSR Frame Generation❌ Not Supported
AMD Fluid Motion Frames❌ Not Supported
FidelityFX Super Resolution✅ Supported
DirectXMicrosoft graphics API version12.0
VulkanCross-platform graphics API1.2
OpenGLLegacy graphics API4.4
Compute APIGPGPU framework (CUDA/ROCm/OpenCL)OpenCL 2.0
Multi-GPUSLI/CrossFire/NVLink supportCrossFire
🖥️

Display & Media

Display outputs: 1x DP, 2x DVI, 1x HDMI — supports up to 4 simultaneous displays. Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0, decoder: UVD 5.0— dedicated hardware for video encoding/decoding accelerates streaming, recording, and video playback. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
DP PortsNumber of DP display connectors1x
DVI PortsNumber of DVI display connectors2x
HDMI PortsNumber of HDMI display connectors1x
Max DisplaysMaximum simultaneously connected monitors4
Hardware EncoderVideo encoding engine versionVCE 3.0
Hardware DecoderVideo decoding engine versionUVD 5.0
CodecsSupported video compression formatsMPEG-2,H.264
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 285 draws 190 Watt under load (TDP) — a 500W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 2x 6-pin. Physical size: 221mm long, 109mm tall, occupying 2 expansion slots— verify your case has clearance before purchasing. Typical temperatures: 30°C at idle, 65°C under load.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
TDPPower consumption under load190 Watt
Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage500W
Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type2x 6-pin
Card LengthGPU card length — check case clearance221mm
Card Height109mm
Slot WidthExpansion slots occupied2-slot
Idle TemperatureTypical temperature at desktop idle30°C
Load TemperatureTypical temperature under gaming load65°C
💰

Value Analysis

At an average price of $40 (MSRP: $249), the Radeon R9 285 delivers 167 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #365 among all indexed GPUs.

SpecificationRadeon R9 285
MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price$249
Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days$40
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#365
Release DateSeptember 2 2014
Release Year2014

Specifications Reference

Raw spec sheet for quick lookup. The analysis cards above explain what these fields mean in practice.

2 categories

Technical Specifications

20 specs

ROPs32
TMUs112
Vram4 GB
DLSS/FSRFSR upscaling
L1 Cache448 kB
L2 Cache512 kB
Core Clock918 MHz
Memory TypeGDDR5
Memory Speed8 Gbps
Shading Units1792
Upscaling TechAMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR)
PCIe GenerationPCIe 3.0 x16
Memory Bandwidth176 GB/s
Memory Bus Width256-bit
Transistor Count5,000 million
Frame GenerationFSR Frame Generation: No | AMD Fluid Motion Frames: No | FidelityFX Super Resolution: Yes
Texture Fill Rate102.8
Manufacturing Process28 nm
Power Consumption (TDP)190 Watt
Floating Point Performance3.29 TFLOPS

General Information

5 specs

CodenameTonga
ArchitectureGCN 3.0 (2014−2019)
Launch Price$249
Release DateSeptember 2 2014
Performance Ranking Position365

Our Recommendation for Radeon R9 285

Suggested pairings based on performance balance

Compare Radeon R9 285

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