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 M485X

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
354.5% HIGHER MSRP
$450 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.4 vs 37.2 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Radeon RX 560

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $351 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Delivers 340.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.2 vs 8.4 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M485X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M485X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon R9 M485X

2016

Radeon RX 560

2017

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅Costs $351 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Delivers 340.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.2 vs 8.4 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M485X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M485X is already obsolete for modern gaming.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
354.5% HIGHER MSRP
$450 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.4 vs 37.2 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 M485X better than Radeon RX 560?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,801 vs 3,682 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 M485X is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

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

Radeon RX 560 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2017 generation instead of 2016, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 2 GB, better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR upscaling, and a 14nm 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 M485X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 M485X is about 354.5% more expensive on MSRP at $450 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and you are getting 3.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 560 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 560 make more sense than Radeon R9 M485X?

Yes. Radeon RX 560 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 250W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $99 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 M485X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 M485X currently gives you 3.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 560 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 M485X Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 560 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
1080p
low	80 FPS	41 FPS
medium	66 FPS	26 FPS
high	52 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	11 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	28 FPS
medium	56 FPS	17 FPS
high	40 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	5 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	10 FPS
medium	23 FPS	7 FPS
high	15 FPS	4 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	3 FPS

Open Radeon R9 M485X Open Radeon RX 560

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
1080p
low	102 FPS	88 FPS
medium	79 FPS	58 FPS
high	65 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	25 FPS
1440p
low	61 FPS	42 FPS
medium	43 FPS	31 FPS
high	33 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	15 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	11 FPS
medium	17 FPS	9 FPS
high	14 FPS	8 FPS
ultra	10 FPS	5 FPS

Open Radeon R9 M485X Open Radeon RX 560

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
1080p
low	171 FPS	166 FPS
medium	137 FPS	133 FPS
high	114 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	124 FPS
medium	103 FPS	99 FPS
high	86 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	86 FPS	83 FPS
medium	68 FPS	66 FPS
high	57 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	41 FPS

Open Radeon R9 M485X Open Radeon RX 560

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
1080p
low	146 FPS	154 FPS
medium	117 FPS	119 FPS
high	100 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	107 FPS	110 FPS
medium	87 FPS	87 FPS
high	75 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	62 FPS
medium	48 FPS	47 FPS
high	37 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	27 FPS

Open Radeon R9 M485X Open Radeon RX 560

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 M485X and Radeon RX 560

Radeon R9 M485X

The Radeon R9 M485X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,801 points.

Radeon RX 560

The Radeon RX 560 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1175 MHz to 1275 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,682 points. Launch price was $99.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M485X scores 3,801 and the Radeon RX 560 reaches 3,682 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M485X is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon RX 560 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 1,024 (Radeon RX 560). Raw compute: 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 2.611 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 560).

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
G3D Mark Score	3,801+3%	3,682
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2048+100%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.961 TFLOPS+13%	2.611 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	128+100%	64
L1 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 560 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 R9 M485X lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
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 R9 M485X comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 560 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 560 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 1 MB (Radeon RX 560) — the Radeon RX 560 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon RX 560). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
DirectX	12	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 M485X) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 560). Decoder: UVD 6.0 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 M485X) vs HEVC,H.264,VP9,MPEG-4 (Radeon RX 560).

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
Encoder	VCE 3.0	VCE 3.4
Decoder	UVD 6.0	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,VP9	HEVC,H.264,VP9,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M485X draws 250W versus the Radeon RX 560's 75W — a 107.7% difference. The Radeon RX 560 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 450W (Radeon RX 560). Power connectors: Mobile vs None. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70 C.

Feature	Radeon R9 M485X	Radeon RX 560
TDP	250W	75W-70%
Recommended PSU	350W-22%	450W
Power Connector	Mobile	None
Length	—	170mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70 C-13%
Perf/Watt	15.2	49.1+223%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 M485X launched at $450 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 560 launched at $99. The Radeon RX 560 costs 78% less ($351 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.4 (Radeon R9 M485X) vs 37.2 (Radeon RX 560) — the Radeon RX 560 offers 342.9% better value. The Radeon RX 560 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2016).