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 RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 37.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon RX 480

2016

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 37.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5600M better than Radeon RX 480?

Yes. Radeon RX 5600M is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 8,857 vs 8,546 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 5600M is a 2020 card with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, while Radeon RX 480 is a 2016 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. 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?

Radeon RX 5600M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016, better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR upscaling, and a 7nm process instead of 14nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

Radeon RX 5600M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 5600M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 3.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 480 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon RX 480 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon RX 480 is 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM, 8,546 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 RX 480 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5600M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	104 FPS	79 FPS
medium	88 FPS	70 FPS
high	75 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	90 FPS	71 FPS
medium	75 FPS	63 FPS
high	57 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	27 FPS
medium	32 FPS	25 FPS
high	21 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	15 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5600M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	149 FPS	220 FPS
medium	129 FPS	186 FPS
high	111 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	149 FPS
medium	71 FPS	121 FPS
high	56 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	80 FPS
medium	30 FPS	65 FPS
high	24 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	35 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5600M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	385 FPS	399 FPS
medium	308 FPS	319 FPS
high	256 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	288 FPS	299 FPS
medium	231 FPS	239 FPS
high	192 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	192 FPS	199 FPS
medium	154 FPS	159 FPS
high	128 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	100 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5600M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	247 FPS	241 FPS
medium	214 FPS	206 FPS
high	174 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	187 FPS
medium	165 FPS	166 FPS
high	129 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	104 FPS	104 FPS
medium	84 FPS	87 FPS
high	66 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	56 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5600M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 480 and Radeon RX 5600M

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

Radeon RX 5600M

The Radeon RX 5600M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 7 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1035 MHz to 1265 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,857 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 480 scores 8,546 and the Radeon RX 5600M reaches 8,857 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 480 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon RX 5600M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Radeon RX 480) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600M). Raw compute: 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480) vs 5.829 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600M). Boost clocks: 1266 MHz vs 1265 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
G3D Mark Score	8,546	8,857+4%
Architecture	GCN 4.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2304	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.834 TFLOPS	5.829 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1266 MHz	1265 MHz
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	144	144
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5600M is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon RX 480 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 480 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5600M has 6 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 5600M) — a 12.5% advantage for the Radeon RX 5600M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon RX 480) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 5600M) — the Radeon RX 5600M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+33%	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s	288 GB/s+13%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 480) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5600M). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
DirectX	12.0	12.1
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5600M). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5600M).

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5600M
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 480 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 5600M's 150W — a 0% difference. The Radeon RX 5600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 480) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5600M). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 240mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 90°C.