GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 280

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.

GeForce GTX 680

2012

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280 across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
78.9% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅14.2% more average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.8 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

GeForce GTX 680

2012

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Why buy it

✅14.2% more average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.8 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280 across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
78.9% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 280 better than GeForce GTX 680?

Yes. Radeon R9 280 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 14.2% more average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.4% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2014 instead of 2012, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce GTX 680 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Radeon R9 280 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon R9 280 is about $220 cheaper on MSRP at $279 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 14.2% more estimated average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (5,532 vs 5,609). It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 76.4%. GeForce GTX 680 is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 680 make more sense than Radeon R9 280?

Yes. GeForce GTX 680 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 future-proofing and staying closer to $499 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 280. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 280 currently gives you a lower G3D Mark (5,532 vs 5,609) and 14.2% more estimated average FPS across 20 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 76.4%.

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.

GeForce GTX 680 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 280 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	78 FPS	77 FPS
medium	66 FPS	63 FPS
high	53 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	65 FPS
medium	60 FPS	54 FPS
high	42 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	24 FPS
medium	23 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon R9 280

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	116 FPS	129 FPS
medium	86 FPS	100 FPS
high	66 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	53 FPS
1440p
low	64 FPS	73 FPS
medium	44 FPS	53 FPS
high	32 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	28 FPS
medium	17 FPS	20 FPS
high	13 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	11 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon R9 280

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	252 FPS	249 FPS
medium	202 FPS	199 FPS
high	168 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	126 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	189 FPS	187 FPS
medium	151 FPS	149 FPS
high	126 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	126 FPS	124 FPS
medium	101 FPS	100 FPS
high	84 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon R9 280

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	126 FPS	140 FPS
medium	101 FPS	116 FPS
high	86 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	97 FPS	103 FPS
medium	78 FPS	85 FPS
high	67 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	57 FPS	62 FPS
medium	44 FPS	48 FPS
high	35 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680 Open Radeon R9 280

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680 and Radeon R9 280

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon R9 280

The Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 4 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 933 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,532 points. Launch price was $279.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the Radeon R9 280 reaches 5,532 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 280 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 280). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280). Boost clocks: 1058 MHz vs 933 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
G3D Mark Score	5,609+1%	5,532
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	1792+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.25 TFLOPS	3.344 TFLOPS+3%
Boost Clock	1058 MHz+13%	933 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	128 KB	448 KB+250%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 280 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 680 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280 has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 680 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 240 GB/s (Radeon R9 280) — a 24.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 280. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 680) vs 768 KB (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon R9 280 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s	240 GB/s+25%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon R9 280's 200W — a 2.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 680 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 280
TDP	195W-3%	200W
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	256mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	98°C	—
Perf/Watt	28.8+4%	27.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 680 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 280 launched at $279. The Radeon R9 280 costs 44.1% less ($220 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 19.8 (Radeon R9 280) — the Radeon R9 280 offers 76.8% better value. The Radeon R9 280 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2012).