GeForce GTX 860M SLI vs Radeon R9 280

When choosing between GeForce GTX 860M SLI and Radeon R9 280, it is worth examining the specifications of the models in detail. Do they meet the recommended requirements of modern games and software? Storage capacity, form factor, TDP, available ports, warranty and manufacturer support are all important. For example, the size of a PC case can limit the maximum thickness and length of the card. Often, instead of the factory overclocked card and RGB backlight, it is better to choose a reference model with a more efficient GPU. And make sure that your current power supply unit has the correct connection pins (using adapters is not recommended). This GPUs compare tool is meant to help you to choose the best graphics card for your build. Let's find out the difference between GeForce GTX 860M SLI and Radeon R9 280.

GeForce GTX 860M SLI is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: GeForce GTX 860M SLI is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with GeForce GTX 860M SLI here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 860M SLI Radeon R9 280
Power consumption (TDP) 120 Watt 200 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2x 4 GB 3 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon R9 280 has 66% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 860M SLI.
  • Radeon R9 280 has 1 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 860M SLI.
  • GeForce GTX 860M SLI is used in Laptops, and Radeon R9 280 - in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 860M SLI is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon R9 280 - with GCN 1.0.
  • GeForce GTX 860M SLI and Radeon R9 280 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 860M SLI is 3750 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 280.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 21−24 35−40
ultra / 1080p 14−16 21−24
QHD / 1440p 8−9 16−18
4K / 2160p 5−6 10−11
low / 720p 40−45 60−65
medium / 1080p 27−30 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 60% more, than GeForce GTX 860M SLI.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 860M SLI Radeon R9 280
Architecture Maxwell GCN 1.0
Code name Tahiti
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 12 March 2014 4 March 2014
Pipelines 1280 1792
Core clock speed 1029 MHz
Boost Clock 933 MHz
Transistor count 2x 1870 Million 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 104.5
Floating-point performance 3,344 gflops
Length 275 mm
Memory bus width 2x 128 Bit 384 Bit
Memory clock speed 5000 MHz 1250 MHz
Memory bandwidth 240 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX DirectX 12 (FL 11_0), Shader 5.0
Shader Model 5.1
OpenGL 4.6
OpenCL 1.2
Vulkan +
CUDA +
FreeSync +
Bus support PCIe 3.0
SLI options +
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 408 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Optimus +
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
TrueAudio +
Design reference
CrossFire +
DDMA audio +
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 21.5 Mh/s
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
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