GeForce GTX 870M vs Radeon R9 280X

When choosing between GeForce GTX 870M and Radeon R9 280X, 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 870M and Radeon R9 280X.

GeForce GTX 870M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: GeForce GTX 870M 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 870M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 870M Radeon R9 280X
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt 250 Watt
Interface MXM-B (3.0) PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 6 GB 3 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
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  • Radeon R9 280X has 150% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 870M.
  • GeForce GTX 870M is connected by MXM-B (3.0), and Radeon R9 280X uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • GeForce GTX 870M has 3 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280X.
  • GeForce GTX 870M is used in Laptops, and Radeon R9 280X - in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 870M is build with Kepler architecture, and Radeon R9 280X - with GCN.
  • GeForce GTX 870M and Radeon R9 280X are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 16−18 35−40
ultra / 1080p 10−11 21−24
QHD / 1440p 4−5 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 35−40 60−65
medium / 1080p 21−24 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 100% more, than GeForce GTX 870M.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 870M Radeon R9 280X
Architecture Kepler GCN
Code name N15P-GT Thaiti XTL
Type Laptop Desktop
Release date 12 March 2014 8 October 2013
Pipelines 1344 2048
Core clock speed 941 MHz
Boost Clock 967 MHz 1000 MHz
Transistor count 3,540 million 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 108.3 128.0
Floating-point performance 2,599 gflops 4,096 gflops
Length 275 mm
Memory bus width 192 Bit 384 Bit
Memory bandwidth 120.0 GB/s 288 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_0)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.5 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan 1.1.126 +
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.5 kh/s
FreeSync +
CUDA cores 1344
Bus support PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 PCIe 3.0
SLI options +
HDMI + +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 82 Mh/s 494 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Standard memory configuration GDDR5
eDP 1.2 signal support Up to 3840x2160
LVDS signal support Up to 1920x1200
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support Up to 3840x2160
HDCP content protection +
7.1 channel HD audio on HDMI +
TrueHD and DTS-HD audio bitstreaming +
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder +
Optimus +
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
TrueAudio +
Design reference
DisplayPort support +
CrossFire +
DDMA audio +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.07 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 14.42 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 285 Sol/s
AppAcceleration +
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
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