GeForce GTX 480 vs Radeon R9 280X
Aggregate performance score
Radeon R9 280X outperforms GeForce GTX 480 by a considerable 42% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in performance ranking | 330 | 398 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 11.93 | 1.27 |
| Architecture | GCN (2011−2017) | Fermi (2010−2014) |
| GPU code name | Thaiti XTL | GF100 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Design | reference | no data |
| Release date | 8 October 2013 (10 years ago) | 7 December 2010 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $299 | $499 |
| Current price | $11.99 (0x MSRP) | $15.99 (0x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
R9 280X has 839% better value for money than GTX 480.
Detailed specifications
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 2048 | 480 |
| CUDA cores | no data | 480 |
| Core clock speed | no data | 700 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1000 MHz | no data |
| Number of transistors | 4,313 million | 3,100 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 295 Watt |
| Maximum GPU temperature | no data | 105 °C |
| Texture fill rate | 128.0 | 42 billion/sec |
| Floating-point performance | 4,096 gflops | 1,345.0 gflops |
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).
| Bus support | PCIe 3.0 | 16x PCI-E 2.0 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |
| Length | 275 mm | 10.5" (267 mm) (26.7 cm) |
| Height | no data | 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm) |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin | 6-pin & 8-pin |
| SLI options | no data | + |
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 | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 3 GB | 1536 MB |
| Memory bus width | 384 Bit | 384 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | no data | 1848 MHz (3696 data rate) |
| Memory bandwidth | 288 GB/s | 177.4 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
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 HDMI, 1x DisplayPort | Two Dual Link DVI, Mini HDMI |
| Multi monitor support | no data | + |
| Eyefinity | + | no data |
| HDMI | + | + |
| HDCP | no data | + |
| Maximum VGA resolution | no data | 2048x1536 |
| DisplayPort support | + | no data |
| Audio input for HDMI | no data | Internal |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| AppAcceleration | + | no data |
| CrossFire | 1 | no data |
| Enduro | - | no data |
| FreeSync | 1 | no data |
| HD3D | + | no data |
| LiquidVR | 1 | no data |
| PowerTune | - | no data |
| TressFX | 1 | no data |
| TrueAudio | + | no data |
| ZeroCore | - | no data |
| UVD | + | no data |
| DDMA audio | + | no data |
API compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | DirectX® 12 | 12 (11_0) |
| Shader Model | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| OpenCL | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Vulkan | + | N/A |
| Mantle | - | no data |
| CUDA | no data | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance 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.
Radeon R9 280X outperforms GeForce GTX 480 by 42% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. 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.
Benchmark coverage: 25%
Radeon R9 280X outperforms GeForce GTX 480 by 42% in Passmark.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
Radeon R9 280X outperforms GeForce GTX 480 by 115% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
Radeon R9 280X outperforms GeForce GTX 480 by 129% in 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 65
+44.4%
| 45−50
−44.4%
|
| 4K | 34
+61.9%
| 21−24
−61.9%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24−27
+50%
|
16−18
−50%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 30−35
+40.9%
|
21−24
−40.9%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 24−27
+56.3%
|
16−18
−56.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 45−50
+48.5%
|
30−35
−48.5%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 30−35
+43.5%
|
21−24
−43.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24−27
+50%
|
16−18
−50%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 40−45
+32.3%
|
30−35
−32.3%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 40−45
+44.8%
|
27−30
−44.8%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 50−55
+37.8%
|
35−40
−37.8%
|
| Hitman 3 | 35−40
+45.8%
|
24−27
−45.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 45−50
+40%
|
35−40
−40%
|
| Metro Exodus | 45−50
+48.4%
|
30−35
−48.4%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 40−45
+40%
|
30−33
−40%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 40−45
+40%
|
30−33
−40%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 27−30
+47.4%
|
18−20
−47.4%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 30−35
+40.9%
|
21−24
−40.9%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 24−27
+56.3%
|
16−18
−56.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 45−50
+48.5%
|
30−35
−48.5%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 30−35
+43.5%
|
21−24
−43.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24−27
+50%
|
16−18
−50%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 40−45
+32.3%
|
30−35
−32.3%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 40−45
+44.8%
|
27−30
−44.8%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 50−55
+37.8%
|
35−40
−37.8%
|
| Hitman 3 | 35−40
+45.8%
|
24−27
−45.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 45−50
+40%
|
35−40
−40%
|
| Metro Exodus | 45−50
+48.4%
|
30−35
−48.4%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 40−45
+40%
|
30−33
−40%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 40−45
+40%
|
30−33
−40%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 48
+118%
|
21−24
−118%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 27−30
+47.4%
|
18−20
−47.4%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 30−35
+40.9%
|
21−24
−40.9%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 24−27
+56.3%
|
16−18
−56.3%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 30−35
+43.5%
|
21−24
−43.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 24−27
+50%
|
16−18
−50%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 40−45
+32.3%
|
30−35
−32.3%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 50−55
+37.8%
|
35−40
−37.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 45−50
+40%
|
35−40
−40%
|
| Metro Exodus | 45−50
+48.4%
|
30−35
−48.4%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 20
−10%
|
21−24
+10%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 27−30
+47.4%
|
18−20
−47.4%
|
Full HD
Epic Preset
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 40−45
+40%
|
30−33
−40%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 27−30
+38.1%
|
21−24
−38.1%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 27−30
+55.6%
|
18−20
−55.6%
|
| Hitman 3 | 21−24
+57.1%
|
14−16
−57.1%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 10−12
+57.1%
|
7−8
−57.1%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 16−18
+60%
|
10−11
−60%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 12−14
+71.4%
|
7−8
−71.4%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 18−20
+46.2%
|
12−14
−46.2%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 8−9
+60%
|
5−6
−60%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 24−27
+47.1%
|
16−18
−47.1%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 27−30
+45%
|
20−22
−45%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 30−35
+40.9%
|
21−24
−40.9%
|
| Metro Exodus | 27−30
+68.8%
|
16−18
−68.8%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 27−30
+80%
|
14−16
−80%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 16−18
+60%
|
10−11
−60%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 9−10
+50%
|
6−7
−50%
|
4K
High Preset
| Far Cry 5 | 30−35
+28%
|
24−27
−28%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 14−16
+50%
|
10−11
−50%
|
| Hitman 3 | 10−12
+57.1%
|
7−8
−57.1%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 16−18
+45.5%
|
10−12
−45.5%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 9−10
+50%
|
6−7
−50%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 14−16
+75%
|
8−9
−75%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 9−10
+50%
|
6−7
−50%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 7−8
+40%
|
5−6
−40%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 16−18
+77.8%
|
9−10
−77.8%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 10−11
+66.7%
|
6−7
−66.7%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 2−3
+100%
|
1−2
−100%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 20−22
+53.8%
|
12−14
−53.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 16−18
+45.5%
|
10−12
−45.5%
|
| Metro Exodus | 14−16
+27.3%
|
10−12
−27.3%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 6−7
+50%
|
4−5
−50%
|
4K
Epic Preset
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 14−16
+40%
|
10−11
−40%
|
This is how R9 280X and GTX 480 compete in popular games:
- R9 280X is 44% faster in 1080p
- R9 280X is 62% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the R9 280X is 118% faster.
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 480 is 10% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- R9 280X is ahead in 71 test (99%)
- GTX 480 is ahead in 1 test (1%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 15.11 | 10.63 |
| Recency | 8 October 2013 | 7 December 2010 |
| Cost | $299 | $499 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 3 GB | 1536 MB |
| Chip lithography | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 295 Watt |
The Radeon R9 280X is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 480 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.
