Contents:HighlightsSummaryGaming PerformanceBenchmark PerformanceTechnical SpecsRelated ComparisonsRelated GPUs
Performance
Radeon R9 280X435% better
10,79210% of 104,598
Radeon 520
2,016.52% of 104,598
The Radeon R9 280X has 435% better performance than the Radeon 520 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Performance per dollar
Radeon R9 280X
36.0922% of 161.45
Radeon 520
No data available
The Radeon R9 280X has 22% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: AMD Radeon RX 7600.
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Summary
#
About the AMD Radeon R9 280X GPU
The AMD Radeon R9 280X is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q4 2013 with a MSRP of $299. It is built on the GCN 1.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename Tahiti) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The R9 280X has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,500 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 288 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The R9 280X includes 2,048 stream processors (SPs), the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 850 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,000 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 128 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 32 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
The R9 280X occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. AMD recommends a power supply of at least 600 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 250 W.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The R9 280X has the 171st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 10.32% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 10,792 score and $299 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 36.09. This is the 73rd best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
About the AMD Radeon 520 GPU
The AMD Radeon 520 is an end-of-life mobile graphics card that released in Q2 2017. It is built on the GCN 1.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename Banks) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.
Memory
The 520 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,125 MHz memory clock and a 64 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 36 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.
Cores and Clock Speeds
The 520 includes 320 stream processors (SPs), the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,030 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 20 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 8 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.
Compatibility & Power Consumption
AMD recommends a power supply of at least 250 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 50 W.
Benchmark Performance
The 520 has the 361st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 1.93% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
General Info
General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.
| Info | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AMD | AMD |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |
| Release Date | Q4 2013 | Q2 2017 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $299 | -- |
| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
#
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
Destiny 2
Fortnite
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Dota 2 - Reborn
Rocket League
FPS Benchmarks
This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.
- Frames Per Second
Destiny 2 | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 720p | -- | 18 FPS |
| Medium - 1080p | -- | 9 FPS |
| High - 1080p | -- | -- |
| Ultra - 1080p | -- | -- |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | -- |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | -- | -- |
FPS Source: Notebookcheck
Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)
The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.
Choose Baseline GPU:Radeon R9 280X orRadeon 520
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon R9 M375 | 20.2 | +115% |
| Radeon RX 540 Mobile | 18.8 | +100% |
| GeForce MX110 | 17.7 | +88% |
| GeForce 930MX | 13.1 | +39% |
| Radeon 530 | 11.6 | +23% |
| Radeon 520 | 9.4 | |
Compare Cost Per Frame
The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.
Choose Baseline GPU:Radeon R9 280X orRadeon 520
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Our database does not have enough data to compare the FPS per dollar with other GPUs. | ||
Benchmark Performance
#
Performance
Radeon R9 280X435% better
10,79210% of 104,598
Radeon 520
2,016.52% of 104,598
The Radeon R9 280X has 435% better performance than the Radeon 520 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon R9 280X is ranked 171st with a score of 10,792, and the Radeon 520 is ranked 361st with a score of 2,016.5.
Performance per dollar
Radeon R9 280X
36.0922% of 161.45
Radeon 520
No data available
The Radeon R9 280X has 55% of the performance per dollar compared to the leader for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
Radeon R9 280X's 36.09 performance per dollar ranks it 73rd among the other benchmarked GPUs in our database.
Relative Performance
The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
Choose Baseline GPU:Radeon R9 280X or
| GPU | Benchmark Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 13,645 | +26% |
| Radeon R9 380 | 12,191 | +13% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 10,792 | |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 10,767.5 | -0% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 10,216.5 | -5% |
| Radeon HD 7750M | 2,085 | -81% |
| Radeon R7 M360 | 2,029 | -81% |
| Radeon 520 | 2,016.5 | -81% |
| GeForce GTX 470M | 2,002.5 | -81% |
| FirePro M4000 | 1,981 | -82% |
Relative Value For Money
The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.
Choose Baseline GPU:Radeon R9 280X orRadeon 520
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 960 | 54.11 | +50% |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 52.52 | +46% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 48.73 | +35% |
| Radeon R9 390X | 41.83 | +16% |
| GeForce GTX 750 Ti | 36.09 | +0% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 36.09 | |
| GeForce GTX 980 | 32.07 | -11% |
| GeForce GTX 760 | 31.98 | -11% |
| Radeon R9 FURY | 31.95 | -11% |
| Radeon R9 290X | 29.45 | -18% |
Benchmark Scores
This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
- Popular
| Benchmark | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 2,210 (+456.68%) | 397 |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2,393 (+426.51%) | 454.5 |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 52,117 (+519.52%) | 8,412.5 |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 8,343 (+532.52%) | 1,319 |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 10,241 (+358.83%) | 2,232 |
| Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit | -- | 35.6 |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 6,178 (+614.22%) | 865 |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 686 (+231.4%) | 207 |
| Unigine Heaven 3.0 DirectX 11 | 95.2 (+693.33%) | 12 |
| Unigine Heaven 3.0 OpenGL | -- | 9.2 |
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck
Technical Specs
#
Graphics Processor
General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | Tahiti | Banks |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Size | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Transistors | 4,313 million | 690 million |
Memory Details
Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 3 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288 Gb/s | 36 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 1,500 MHz | 1,125 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 384 bit | 64 bit |
| L1 Cache | 16 KB | 16 KB |
| L2 Cache | 768 KB | 128 KB |
Board Compatibility
Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | -- |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 250 W | 50 W |
| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 250 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | -- |
| Outputs | DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 | No outputs |
Cores & Clock Speeds
Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Stream Processors (SP) | 2,048 | 320 |
| Compute Units (CU) | 32 | 5 |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 128 | 20 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 32 | 8 |
| Core Clock Speed | 850 MHz | 1,030 MHz |
| Core Clock Speed (Boost) | 1,000 MHz | -- |
Theoretical Performance
Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 32 GPixel/s | 8.24 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 128 GTexel/s | 20.6 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 4.1 TFLOPS | 659.2 GFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 1,024 GFLOPS | 41.2 GFLOPS |
API Support
Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.
| Spec | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon 520 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 (11_1) |
| OpenCL | 2.1 (1.2) | 2.1 (1.2) |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Shader Model | 6.5 (5.1) | 6.5 (5.1) |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.