AMD Radeon R9 280X vs AMD Radeon HD 7970
The Radeon R9 280X has 39% better performance than the Radeon HD 7970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon R9 280X has 155% better value for the money than the Radeon HD 7970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Summary
About the AMD Radeon R9 280X GPU
The Radeon R9 280X is an end-of-life desktop graphics card by AMD. It launched in Q4 2013 with a suggested retail price of $299. Its Tahiti chip that powers the GPU uses the GCN 1.0 architecture and is fabricated on the 28 nm process.
Memory
This GPU is paired with 3 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 1,500 MHz memory clock and 384 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 288 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
Compatibility
The R9 280X is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 250 W. AMD recommends using a power supply of at least 600 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The Radeon R9 280X has the 167th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 10.28% 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 71st best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
About the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GPU
The Radeon HD 7970 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card by AMD. It launched in Q1 2012 with a suggested retail price of $549. Its Tahiti chip that powers the GPU uses the GCN 1.0 architecture and is fabricated on the 28 nm process.
Memory
This GPU is paired with 3 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 1,375 MHz memory clock and 384 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 264 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
Compatibility
The HD 7970 is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 1.4a, mini-DisplayPort 1.2 display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 250 W. AMD recommends using a power supply of at least 600 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The Radeon HD 7970 has the 208th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 7.40% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 7,770 score and $549 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 14.15. This is the 90th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AMD | AMD |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release Date | Q4 2013 | Q1 2012 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $299 | $549 |
| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
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
Fortnite | Radeon R9 280X | Radeon HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 720p | -- | -- |
| Medium - 1080p | 158 FPS | -- |
| High - 1080p | 60 FPS | -- |
| Ultra - 1080p | 48 FPS | -- |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | -- |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | -- | -- |
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.
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon RX 570 | 72 | +52% |
| Radeon RX 480 | 64.5 | +36% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 61 | +28% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 60 | +26% |
| Radeon RX 470 | 58.9 | +24% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 47.5 | |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 44.8 | -6% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 42 | -12% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 30.2 | -36% |
| GeForce GT 1030 | 24.5 | -48% |
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.
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) | 3.29 | -48% |
| Radeon RX 480 | 3.55 | -44% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 4.93 | -22% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 5.48 | -13% |
| GeForce GTX 980 | 6.01 | -5% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 6.29 | |
| Radeon R9 FURY | 7.63 | +21% |
Benchmark Performance
The Radeon R9 280X has 39% better performance than the Radeon HD 7970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon R9 280X is ranked 167th with a score of 10,792, and the Radeon HD 7970 is ranked 208th with a score of 7,770.
The Radeon R9 280X has 155% better value for the money than the Radeon HD 7970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon R9 280X is ranked 71st with a performance per dollar of 36.09, and the Radeon HD 7970 is ranked 90th with a performance per dollar of 14.15.
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.
| 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% |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 8,351 | -23% |
| GeForce GTX 760 | 7,962 | -26% |
| Radeon HD 7970 | 7,770 | -28% |
| Radeon HD 7870 (GHz Edition) | 6,194 | -43% |
| GeForce GTX 750 Ti | 5,378 | -50% |
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.
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 HD 7870 (GHz Edition) | 17.75 | -51% |
| Radeon HD 6870 | 17.65 | -51% |
| Radeon HD 7970 | 14.15 | -61% |
| GeForce GTX 590 | 13.11 | -64% |
| GeForce GTX 470 | 12.44 | -66% |
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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 2,210 | -- |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2,393 | -- |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 52,117 (+19%) | 43,795 |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 8,343 (+21.58%) | 6,862 |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 10,241 (+39.85%) | 7,323 |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 6,191 (+17.97%) | 5,248 |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 676 | 740 (+9.47%) |
| Unigine Heaven 3.0 DirectX 11 | 95.2 (+22.37%) | 77.8 |
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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | Tahiti | Tahiti |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Size | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Transistors | 4,313 million | 4,313 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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 3 GB | 3 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288 Gb/s | 264 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 1,500 MHz | 1,375 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 384 bit | 384 bit |
| L1 Cache | 16 KB | 16 KB |
| L2 Cache | 768 KB | 768 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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | 2 slots |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 250 W | 250 W |
| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 600 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Outputs | DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2 | DVI, HDMI 1.4a, mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |
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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Stream Processors (SP) | 2,048 | 2,048 |
| Compute Units (CU) | 32 | 32 |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 128 | 128 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 32 | 32 |
| Core Clock Speed | 850 MHz | 925 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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 32 GPixel/s | 29.6 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 128 GTexel/s | 118.4 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 4.1 TFLOPS | 3.79 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 1,024 GFLOPS | 947.2 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 HD 7970 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
Check out these comparisons for similar GPUs:
Looking for alternatives? Check out these similar GPUs:
* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.