Radeon R9 285 / 380 vs Radeon TM

AMD

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014Core: 918 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon TM

2024Core: 400 MHzBoost: 2900 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

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 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • 1166.7% higher power demand at 190W vs 15W.

Radeon TM

2024

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • More future proof: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 15W instead of 190W, a 175W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 27.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon TM better than Radeon R9 285 / 380?
Yes. Radeon TM is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 5,564 vs 5,550 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon TM is a 2024 card with FSR upscaling, while Radeon R9 285 / 380 is a 2014 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 TM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 4 GB instead of 2 GB, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 4nm 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 TM is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon TM is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 0.3% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 285 / 380 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is Radeon R9 285 / 380 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 285 / 380 is 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM, 5,550 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
1080p
low80 FPS93 FPS
medium65 FPS78 FPS
high52 FPS65 FPS
ultra34 FPS43 FPS
1440p
low67 FPS80 FPS
medium56 FPS68 FPS
high40 FPS51 FPS
ultra25 FPS32 FPS
4K
low25 FPS30 FPS
medium23 FPS28 FPS
high15 FPS19 FPS
ultra13 FPS17 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
1080p
low138 FPS126 FPS
medium105 FPS88 FPS
high83 FPS63 FPS
ultra56 FPS45 FPS
1440p
low78 FPS90 FPS
medium55 FPS60 FPS
high41 FPS44 FPS
ultra29 FPS32 FPS
4K
low28 FPS38 FPS
medium20 FPS28 FPS
high16 FPS22 FPS
ultra11 FPS15 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
1080p
low250 FPS250 FPS
medium200 FPS200 FPS
high166 FPS167 FPS
ultra125 FPS125 FPS
1440p
low187 FPS188 FPS
medium150 FPS150 FPS
high125 FPS125 FPS
ultra94 FPS94 FPS
4K
low125 FPS125 FPS
medium100 FPS100 FPS
high83 FPS83 FPS
ultra62 FPS60 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
1080p
low139 FPS172 FPS
medium113 FPS135 FPS
high97 FPS112 FPS
ultra80 FPS89 FPS
1440p
low103 FPS118 FPS
medium85 FPS96 FPS
high73 FPS81 FPS
ultra57 FPS64 FPS
4K
low61 FPS71 FPS
medium47 FPS56 FPS
high36 FPS44 FPS
ultra26 FPS33 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 285 / 380 and Radeon TM

AMD

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Radeon TM

The Radeon TM is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 15 2024. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 400 MHz to 2900 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,564 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 scores 5,550 and the Radeon TM reaches 5,564 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon TM uses RDNA 3.5, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 1,024 (Radeon TM). Raw compute: 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 5.939 TFLOPS (Radeon TM).

FeatureRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
G3D Mark Score
5,550
5,564
Architecture
GCN 3.0
RDNA 3.5
Process Node
28 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
1792+75%
1024
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.29 TFLOPS
5.939 TFLOPS+81%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
112+75%
64
L1 Cache
448 KB+75%
256 KB
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + RSR

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon TM has 4 GB. The Radeon TM offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 2 MB (Radeon TM) — the Radeon TM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 draws 190W versus the Radeon TM's 15W — a 170.7% difference. The Radeon TM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 350W (Radeon TM). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
TDP
190W
15W-92%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
221mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
29.2
370.9+1170%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon TM is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2014).

FeatureRadeon R9 285 / 380Radeon TM
MSRP
$199
Codename
Tonga
Strix Point
Release
September 2 2014
July 15 2024
Ranking
#365
#312