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.

GRID T4-8Q

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
400% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$500 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.9 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,000 less on MSRP ($500 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 395.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.4 vs 1.9 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.

GRID T4-8Q

2015

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,000 less on MSRP ($500 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 395.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.4 vs 1.9 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
400% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$500 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.9 vs 9.4 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is GRID T4-8Q better than Radeon Sky 500?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 4,762 vs 4,723 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GRID T4-8Q is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (100W vs 150W).

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

GRID T4-8Q is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013 and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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?

GRID T4-8Q is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GRID T4-8Q is about 400.0% more expensive on MSRP at $2,500 MSRP versus $500 MSRP, and you are getting 0.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon Sky 500 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon Sky 500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon Sky 500 is 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 4,723 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.

GRID T4-8Q Benchmark Check

Radeon Sky 500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	105 FPS	80 FPS
medium	86 FPS	65 FPS
high	69 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	87 FPS	67 FPS
medium	73 FPS	55 FPS
high	53 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	25 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	24 FPS
medium	27 FPS	23 FPS
high	18 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	13 FPS

Open GRID T4-8Q Open Radeon Sky 500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	120 FPS	119 FPS
medium	94 FPS	89 FPS
high	77 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	66 FPS
medium	61 FPS	45 FPS
high	50 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	24 FPS
medium	28 FPS	17 FPS
high	27 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	9 FPS

Open GRID T4-8Q Open Radeon Sky 500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	214 FPS	213 FPS
medium	171 FPS	170 FPS
high	143 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	161 FPS	159 FPS
medium	129 FPS	128 FPS
high	107 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	107 FPS	106 FPS
medium	86 FPS	85 FPS
high	71 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	53 FPS

Open GRID T4-8Q Open Radeon Sky 500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
1080p
low	184 FPS	144 FPS
medium	149 FPS	113 FPS
high	132 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	105 FPS
medium	110 FPS	85 FPS
high	98 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	61 FPS
medium	60 FPS	46 FPS
high	49 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	25 FPS

Open GRID T4-8Q Open Radeon Sky 500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GRID T4-8Q and Radeon Sky 500

GRID T4-8Q

The GRID T4-8Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 722 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,762 points.

Radeon Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GRID T4-8Q scores 4,762 and the Radeon Sky 500 reaches 4,723 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID T4-8Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID T4-8Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 2.218 TFLOPS (GRID T4-8Q) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

Feature	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score	4,762	4,723
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536+20%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.218 TFLOPS	2.432 TFLOPS+10%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	96+20%	80
L1 Cache	576 KB+80%	320 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 64-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID T4-8Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon Sky 500) — the GRID T4-8Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID T4-8Q draws 100W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 40% difference. The GRID T4-8Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID T4-8Q) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GRID T4-8Q	Radeon Sky 500
TDP	100W-33%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt	47.6+51%	31.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GRID T4-8Q launched at $2500 MSRP, while the Radeon Sky 500 launched at $500. The Radeon Sky 500 costs 80% less ($2000 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.9 (GRID T4-8Q) vs 9.4 (Radeon Sky 500) — the Radeon Sky 500 offers 394.7% better value. The GRID T4-8Q is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).