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 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅89.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
121.5% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$135 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 44.3 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $135 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

RTX A400

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $164 less on MSRP ($135 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.3 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($135 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Radeon R9 280X

2013

RTX A400

2024

Why buy it

✅89.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $164 less on MSRP ($135 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.3 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($135 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 50W instead of 200W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
121.5% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$135 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 44.3 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $135 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 200W vs 50W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 280X better than RTX A400?

Yes. Radeon R9 280X is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon R9 280X averages 89.1% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 6,100 vs 5,983 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon R9 280X is a 2013 card with FSR upscaling, while RTX A400 is a 2024 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

RTX A400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2013, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 3 GB, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. 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 280X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 280X is about 121.5% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $135 MSRP, and you are getting 89.1% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.0% higher G3D Mark. RTX A400 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does RTX A400 make more sense than Radeon R9 280X?

Yes. RTX A400 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 (50W vs 200W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $135 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 280X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 280X currently gives you 2.0% higher G3D Mark and 89.1% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. RTX A400 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 280X Benchmark Check

RTX A400 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
1080p
low	77 FPS	36 FPS
medium	63 FPS	25 FPS
high	50 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	10 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	29 FPS
medium	54 FPS	18 FPS
high	38 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	10 FPS
medium	23 FPS	7 FPS
high	14 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	3 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open RTX A400

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
1080p
low	140 FPS	73 FPS
medium	116 FPS	48 FPS
high	95 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	22 FPS
1440p
low	85 FPS	46 FPS
medium	64 FPS	25 FPS
high	48 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	14 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	23 FPS
medium	26 FPS	14 FPS
high	20 FPS	11 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	8 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open RTX A400

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
1080p
low	274 FPS	269 FPS
medium	220 FPS	215 FPS
high	183 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	206 FPS	202 FPS
medium	165 FPS	162 FPS
high	137 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	126 FPS
medium	110 FPS	108 FPS
high	92 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	55 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open RTX A400

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
1080p
low	145 FPS	147 FPS
medium	118 FPS	117 FPS
high	102 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	79 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	108 FPS
medium	87 FPS	87 FPS
high	75 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	63 FPS
medium	49 FPS	50 FPS
high	38 FPS	40 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	29 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open RTX A400

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 280X and RTX A400

Radeon R9 280X

The Radeon R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,100 points. Launch price was $299.

RTX A400

The RTX A400 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 16 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 727 MHz to 1762 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 6 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,983 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the RTX A400 reaches 5,983 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the RTX A400 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 768 (RTX A400). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2.706 TFLOPS (RTX A400). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1762 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
G3D Mark Score	6,100+2%	5,983
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2048+167%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+51%	2.706 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1762 MHz+76%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	128+433%	24

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A400 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 280X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A400 has 4 GB. The RTX A400 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the RTX A400's 50W — a 120% difference. The RTX A400 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 350W (RTX A400). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	RTX A400
TDP	200W	50W-75%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	30.5	119.7+292%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 280X launched at $299 MSRP, while the RTX A400 launched at $135. The RTX A400 costs 54.8% less ($164 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 44.3 (RTX A400) — the RTX A400 offers 117.2% better value. The RTX A400 is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2013).