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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon R9 270

2013

Why buy it

✅12.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
62.7% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$110 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.1 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 460

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($110 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 24.1 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 270 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Radeon R9 270

2013

Radeon RX 460

2016

Why buy it

✅12.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($110 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 24.1 G3D/$ ($110 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
62.7% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$110 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.1 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $110 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 270 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 270 better than Radeon RX 460?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. Radeon R9 270 averages 12.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 4,306 vs 4,099 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 270 is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon R9 270 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon R9 270 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 270 is about 62.7% more expensive on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $110 MSRP, and you are getting 12.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 5.1% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 460 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 460 make more sense than Radeon R9 270?

Yes. Radeon RX 460 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (75W vs 150W), and staying closer to $110 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 270. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 270 currently gives you 5.1% higher G3D Mark and 12.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon RX 460 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon R9 270 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 460 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
1080p
low	77 FPS	41 FPS
medium	62 FPS	26 FPS
high	49 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	11 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	28 FPS
medium	53 FPS	17 FPS
high	37 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	10 FPS
medium	22 FPS	7 FPS
high	14 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	3 FPS

Open Radeon R9 270 Open Radeon RX 460

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
1080p
low	116 FPS	79 FPS
medium	86 FPS	51 FPS
high	66 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	22 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	37 FPS
medium	44 FPS	27 FPS
high	32 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	12 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	10 FPS
medium	16 FPS	8 FPS
high	13 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	4 FPS

Open Radeon R9 270 Open Radeon RX 460

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
1080p
low	194 FPS	184 FPS
medium	155 FPS	148 FPS
high	129 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	138 FPS
medium	116 FPS	111 FPS
high	97 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	92 FPS
medium	78 FPS	74 FPS
high	65 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	46 FPS

Open Radeon R9 270 Open Radeon RX 460

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
1080p
low	136 FPS	139 FPS
medium	111 FPS	110 FPS
high	96 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	77 FPS
1440p
low	100 FPS	101 FPS
medium	82 FPS	82 FPS
high	71 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	55 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	58 FPS
medium	46 FPS	45 FPS
high	36 FPS	35 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	26 FPS

Open Radeon R9 270 Open Radeon RX 460

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 270 and Radeon RX 460

Radeon R9 270

The Radeon R9 270 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 13 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 925 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,306 points. Launch price was $179.

Radeon RX 460

The Radeon RX 460 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 8 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1090 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,099 points. Launch price was $86.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon R9 270 scores 4,306 versus the Radeon RX 460's 4,099 — the Radeon R9 270 leads by 5.1%. The Radeon R9 270 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon RX 460 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 270) vs 896 (Radeon RX 460). Raw compute: 2.368 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 270) vs 2.15 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 460). Boost clocks: 925 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
G3D Mark Score	4,306+5%	4,099
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1280+43%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.368 TFLOPS+10%	2.15 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	925 MHz	1200 MHz+30%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+43%	56
L1 Cache	320 KB+43%	224 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 270 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 460 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 460 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 179.2 GB/s (Radeon R9 270) vs 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 460) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon R9 270. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 270) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 460) — the Radeon RX 460 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	179.2 GB/s+60%	112 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 270 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 460's 75W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon RX 460 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 270) vs 350W (Radeon RX 460). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon R9 270	Radeon RX 460
TDP	150W	75W-50%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Length	—	170mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Perf/Watt	28.7	54.7+91%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 270 launched at $179 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 460 launched at $110. The Radeon RX 460 costs 38.5% less ($69 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 24.1 (Radeon R9 270) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 460) — the Radeon RX 460 offers 54.8% better value. The Radeon RX 460 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2013).