GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon R9 280

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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅185.7% more average FPS across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 156.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Radeon R9 280

2014

Why buy it

✅185.7% more average FPS across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 156.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 19.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅166.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 3 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 19.8 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than Radeon R9 280?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 185.7% more FPS across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 5,532 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 280 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?

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 267.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 3 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 43.0% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $279 MSRP, and you are getting 185.7% more estimated average FPS across 26 tracked games in our benchmark data and 267.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 280 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 280 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 280 is 2014 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 5,532 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 280 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	152 FPS	77 FPS
medium	137 FPS	63 FPS
high	118 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	65 FPS
medium	107 FPS	54 FPS
high	91 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	24 FPS
medium	65 FPS	23 FPS
high	50 FPS	14 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	12 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 280

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	425 FPS	129 FPS
medium	366 FPS	100 FPS
high	296 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	53 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	73 FPS
medium	229 FPS	53 FPS
high	190 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	28 FPS
medium	114 FPS	20 FPS
high	96 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	11 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 280

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	859 FPS	249 FPS
medium	693 FPS	199 FPS
high	602 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	187 FPS
medium	529 FPS	149 FPS
high	452 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	124 FPS
medium	346 FPS	100 FPS
high	275 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	62 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 280

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
1080p
low	580 FPS	140 FPS
medium	514 FPS	116 FPS
high	424 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	103 FPS
medium	427 FPS	85 FPS
high	335 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	62 FPS
medium	266 FPS	48 FPS
high	234 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 280

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon R9 280

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon R9 280

The Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 4 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 933 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,532 points. Launch price was $279.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon R9 280's 5,532 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 267.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 280 uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 280). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 3.344 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 933 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
G3D Mark Score	20,312+267%	5,532
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 1.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4864+171%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+384%	3.344 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+78%	933 MHz
ROPs	80+150%	32
TMUs	152+36%	112
L1 Cache	4.8 MB+991%	0.44 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 280 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 280 has 3 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 166.7% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 240 GB/s (Radeon R9 280) — a 86.7% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon R9 280) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+167%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+87%	240 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB+433%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 280's 200W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 280 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 500W (Radeon R9 280). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 280
TDP	200W	200W
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	242mm	—
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	101.6+267%	27.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 280 launched at $279. The Radeon R9 280 costs 30.1% less ($120 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 19.8 (Radeon R9 280) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 157.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).