Radeon RX 480
GPU·Entry

Radeon RX 480

AMD

G3D Mark

8,546

MSRP

$229

AVG Price

$55

June 29 2016
150 Watt
GCN 4.0 (2016−2020)

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 RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

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 RX 480

#79
GeForce GTX 980
MSRP: $549|Avg: $50
143%
#80
Radeon RX 470/570
MSRP: $179|Avg: $40
128%
#81
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
MSRP: $199|Avg: $50
126%
#82
GeForce GTX 970
MSRP: $329|Avg: $50
124%
#83
Radeon R9 Fury
MSRP: $549|Avg: $50
123%
#84
Radeon RX Vega 56
MSRP: $399|Avg: $75
112%
#85
GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448
MSRP: $289|Avg: $30
112%
#86
GeForce GTX 1080
MSRP: $599|Avg: $91
110%
#87
GeForce GTX 1070
MSRP: $379|Avg: $80
109%
#88
GeForce GTX 1060
MSRP: $249|Avg: $60
108%
#89
Radeon R9 285
MSRP: $249|Avg: $40
107%
#90
Radeon RX Vega 64
MSRP: $499|Avg: $85
106%
#91
Radeon R9 290
MSRP: $399|Avg: $50
105%
#92
GeForce GTX 760
MSRP: $249|Avg: $30
103%
#93
GeForce GTX 570
MSRP: $349|Avg: $25
101%
#94
Radeon RX 480
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
100%
#95
GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB
MSRP: $249|Avg: $65
100%
#96
GeForce GTX 580
MSRP: $499|Avg: $30
99%
#97
Radeon RX 5300
MSRP: $129|Avg: $50
98%
#98
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
MSRP: $279|Avg: $85
97%
#99
Radeon RX 580
MSRP: $229|Avg: $59
96%
#100
GeForce GTX 770
MSRP: $399|Avg: $40
96%
#101
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti
MSRP: $399|Avg: $99
95%
#102
Radeon R9 270
MSRP: $179|Avg: $30
92%
#103
Radeon RX 590
MSRP: $279|Avg: $65
92%
#104
GeForce GTX 1060 5GB
MSRP: $249|Avg: $65
91%
#105
Radeon R9 290X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $60
90%
#106
GeForce GTX 680
MSRP: $499|Avg: $40
90%
#107
Radeon R9 290X / 390X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $60
90%
#108
Radeon RX 570
MSRP: $169|Avg: $50
90%
#109
Radeon R9 280
MSRP: $279|Avg: $40
89%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

FPS Benchmarks

Predicted performance for Radeon RX 480 across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 7800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low149 FPS
medium129 FPS
high111 FPS
ultra86 FPS
1440p
low89 FPS
medium71 FPS
high56 FPS
ultra43 FPS
4k
low37 FPS
medium30 FPS
high24 FPS
ultra19 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077

1080p
low62 FPS
medium47 FPS
high32 FPS
ultra25 FPS
1440p
low43 FPS
medium33 FPS
high22 FPS
ultra16 FPS
4k
low22 FPS
medium15 FPS
high10 FPS
ultra7 FPS
Destiny 2

Destiny 2

1080p
low125 FPS
medium110 FPS
high87 FPS
ultra76 FPS
1440p
low96 FPS
medium84 FPS
high66 FPS
ultra57 FPS
4k
low44 FPS
medium38 FPS
high32 FPS
ultra27 FPS
Euro Truck Simulator 2

Euro Truck Simulator 2

1080p
low117 FPS
medium105 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra68 FPS
1440p
low106 FPS
medium93 FPS
high81 FPS
ultra57 FPS
4k
low52 FPS
medium48 FPS
high42 FPS
ultra34 FPS
Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact

1080p
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high54 FPS
ultra48 FPS
1440p
low60 FPS
medium57 FPS
high52 FPS
ultra46 FPS
4k
low54 FPS
medium45 FPS
high40 FPS
ultra35 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low385 FPS
medium308 FPS
high256 FPS
ultra192 FPS
1440p
low288 FPS
medium231 FPS
high192 FPS
ultra144 FPS
4k
low192 FPS
medium154 FPS
high128 FPS
ultra96 FPS
Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2

1080p
low372 FPS
medium308 FPS
high256 FPS
ultra192 FPS
1440p
low288 FPS
medium231 FPS
high192 FPS
ultra144 FPS
4k
low192 FPS
medium154 FPS
high128 FPS
ultra96 FPS
Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals

1080p
low82 FPS
medium65 FPS
high55 FPS
ultra34 FPS
1440p
low52 FPS
medium38 FPS
high33 FPS
ultra22 FPS
4k
low23 FPS
medium18 FPS
high15 FPS
ultra10 FPS
Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low104 FPS
medium88 FPS
high75 FPS
ultra50 FPS
1440p
low90 FPS
medium75 FPS
high57 FPS
ultra37 FPS
4k
low36 FPS
medium32 FPS
high21 FPS
ultra17 FPS
Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia

1080p
low107 FPS
medium85 FPS
high71 FPS
ultra52 FPS
1440p
low75 FPS
medium61 FPS
high53 FPS
ultra43 FPS
4k
low35 FPS
medium30 FPS
high29 FPS
ultra23 FPS

Technical Analysis

Detailed breakdown of Radeon RX 480 specifications and capabilities.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 480 scores 8,546 in the G3D Mark benchmark (the standard measure of rasterization GPU performance), placing it in the Mid-Range tier as a Legacy generation graphics card. It is built on the GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) architecture (codename: Ellesmere), manufactured on a 14 nm process— smaller process nodes improve power efficiency and transistor density. It packs 2304 shader units (the primary compute units for rendering pixels), 144 TMUs (texture mapping units), and 32 ROPs (render output units that handle final pixel output). Raw FP32 compute power: 5.834 TFLOPS — this measures the theoretical peak floating-point performance. Boost clock reaches 1266 MHz from a base of 1120 MHz.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
G3D MarkPassMark 3D graphics benchmark score8,546
ArchitectureGPU microarchitecture generationGCN 4.0 (2016−2020)
CodenameInternal GPU die codenameEllesmere
Manufacturing ProcessFabrication node — smaller = more efficient14 nm
Shader UnitsCore compute units for rendering/compute2304
TMUsTexture Mapping Units — handle texture sampling144
ROPsRender Output Units — final pixel/color blending32
Boost ClockMaximum GPU frequency under load1266 MHz
Base ClockGuaranteed minimum GPU frequency1120 MHz
Compute (FP32)Peak single-precision floating-point performance5.834 TFLOPS
Texture Fill RateTextures processed per second182.3 GTexel/s
PCIe InterfaceCPU↔GPU data link generationPCIe 3.0 x16
Transistor Count5,700 million
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#305
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 480 is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 video memory connected via a 256-bit memory bus, delivering 256 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory operates at 8 Gbps effective speed.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
VRAM SizeVideo memory capacity — more = better for high-res textures8 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 VRAM256 GB/s
L1 Cache576 kB
L2 Cache2 MB

Advanced Features & APIs

The Radeon RX 480 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 1.3, OpenGL 4.6— latest API versions enable the most advanced rendering features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
FSR Frame Generation❌ Not Supported
AMD Fluid Motion Frames❌ Not Supported
FidelityFX Super Resolution✅ Supported
DirectXMicrosoft graphics API version12.0
VulkanCross-platform graphics API1.3
OpenGLLegacy graphics API4.6
Compute APIGPGPU framework (CUDA/ROCm/OpenCL)OpenCL 2.1
Multi-GPUSLI/CrossFire/NVLink supportCrossFire
🖥️

Display & Media

Display outputs: 3x DP, 1x HDMI — supports up to 4 simultaneous displays. Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4, decoder: UVD 6.3— dedicated hardware for video encoding/decoding accelerates streaming, recording, and video playback. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
DP PortsNumber of DP display connectors3x
HDMI PortsNumber of HDMI display connectors1x
Max DisplaysMaximum simultaneously connected monitors4
Hardware EncoderVideo encoding engine versionVCE 3.4
Hardware DecoderVideo decoding engine versionUVD 6.3
CodecsSupported video compression formatsMPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 480 draws 150 Watt under load (TDP) — a 500W PSU minimum is recommended. Power connector: 8-pin. Physical size: 240mm long, 95mm tall, occupying 2 expansion slots, weighing 685g— verify your case has clearance before purchasing. Typical temperatures: 40°C at idle, 85°C under load.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
TDPPower consumption under load150 Watt
Recommended PSUMinimum power supply wattage500W
Power ConnectorRequired PCIe power cable type8-pin
Card LengthGPU card length — check case clearance240mm
Card Height95mm
Slot WidthExpansion slots occupied2-slot
Weight685g
Idle TemperatureTypical temperature at desktop idle40°C
Load TemperatureTypical temperature under gaming load85°C
💰

Value Analysis

At an average price of $55 (MSRP: $229), the Radeon RX 480 delivers 155 G3D Mark points per dollar. Overall performance ranking position: #305 among all indexed GPUs.

SpecificationRadeon RX 480
MSRPManufacturer's Suggested Retail Price$229
Avg Price (30d)Average market price over the last 30 days$55
Performance RankPosition in global GPU performance ranking#305
Release DateJune 29 2016
Release Year2016

Specifications Reference

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

2 categories

Technical Specifications

22 specs

ROPs32
TMUs144
Vram8 GB
DLSS/FSRFSR upscaling
L1 Cache576 kB
L2 Cache2 MB
Core Clock1120 MHz
Boost Clock1266 MHz
Memory TypeGDDR5
Memory Speed8 Gbps
Shading Units2304
Upscaling TechAMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR)
PCIe GenerationPCIe 3.0 x16
Memory Bandwidth256 GB/s
Memory Bus Width256-bit
Transistor Count5,700 million
Frame GenerationFSR Frame Generation: No | AMD Fluid Motion Frames: No | FidelityFX Super Resolution: Yes
Texture Fill Rate182.3
Manufacturing Process14 nm
Power Consumption (TDP)150 Watt
Floating Point Performance5.834 TFLOPS
Quantidade De Transportadores Compute36

General Information

7 specs

Designreference
CodenameEllesmere
ArchitectureGCN 4.0 (2016−2020)
Launch Price$229
Release DateJune 29 2016
GeraçãO GCN4th Gen
Performance Ranking Position305

Our Recommendation for Radeon RX 480

Suggested pairings based on performance balance

Compare Radeon RX 480

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