GeForce GTX 280 vs ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon HD 3870 X2 and GeForce GTX 280, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
GTX 280 outperforms ATI HD 3870 X2 by an impressive 82% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 920 | 738 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.05 | 0.12 |
| Power efficiency | 0.77 | 0.97 |
| Architecture | TeraScale (2005−2013) | Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013) |
| GPU code name | R680 | GT200 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 26 January 2008 (16 years ago) | 16 June 2008 (16 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $449 | $649 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
GTX 280 has 140% better value for money than ATI HD 3870 X2.
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 320 | 240 |
| Core clock speed | 825 MHz | 602 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 666 million | 1,400 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 55 nm | 65 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 165 Watt | 236 Watt |
| Maximum GPU temperature | no data | 105 °C |
| Texture fill rate | 13.20 | 48.16 |
| Floating-point processing power | 0.528 TFLOPS | 0.6221 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 16 | 32 |
| TMUs | 16 | 80 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |
| Length | 267 mm | 267 mm |
| Height | no data | 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm) |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| SLI options | - | + |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR3 | GDDR3 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Memory bus width | 256 Bit | 512 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 901 MHz | 1107 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 57.66 GB/s | 141.7 GB/s |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 2x DVI, 1x S-Video | HDTVDual Link DVI |
| Multi monitor support | no data | + |
| Maximum VGA resolution | no data | 2048x1536 |
| Audio input for HDMI | no data | S/PDIF |
API compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 10.1 (10_1) | 11.1 (10_0) |
| Shader Model | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| OpenCL | N/A | 1.1 |
| Vulkan | N/A | N/A |
| CUDA | - | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.84 | 3.34 |
| Recency | 26 January 2008 | 16 June 2008 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Chip lithography | 55 nm | 65 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 165 Watt | 236 Watt |
ATI HD 3870 X2 has a 18.2% more advanced lithography process, and 43% lower power consumption.
GTX 280, on the other hand, has a 81.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 months, and a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.
The GeForce GTX 280 is our recommended choice as it beats the Radeon HD 3870 X2 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
