Radeon HD 7850 vs Radeon R9 M280X

When comparing Radeon HD 7850 and Radeon R9 M280X, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between Radeon HD 7850 and Radeon R9 M280X is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon R9 M280X is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon R9 M280X 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 Radeon R9 M280X here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 7850 Radeon R9 M280X
Power consumption (TDP) 225 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 Not Listed
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort No outputs
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  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon HD 7850 is used in Desktops, and Radeon R9 M280X - in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 7850 is build with GCN 1.0 architecture, and Radeon R9 M280X - with GCN.
  • Radeon HD 7850 and Radeon R9 M280X are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 18−20 2−3
ultra / 1080p 10−12 1−2
QHD / 1440p 5−6 0−1
4K / 2160p 4−5
low / 720p 35−40 14−16
medium / 1080p 24−27 4−5
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 7850 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 360% more, than Radeon R9 M280X.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 7850 Radeon R9 M280X
Architecture GCN 1.0 GCN
Code name Pitcairn Saturn XT
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 5 March 2012 1 February 2015
Pipelines 1024 896
Core clock speed 900 MHz
Boost Clock 1000 MHz
Transistor count 2,800 million 2,080 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 55.04 61.60
Floating-point performance 1,761 gflops 1,792 gflops
Length 210 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1200 MHz
Memory bandwidth 153.6 GB/s 96 GB/s
Shared memory -
Shader Model 5.1 6.3
OpenGL 4.6 4.4
OpenCL 1.2 Not Listed
FreeSync + +
Bus support PCIe 2.1 x16 Not Listed
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 249 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
PowerTune +
DualGraphics +
ZeroCore +
Switchable graphics +
Mantle +
Design reference
CrossFire +
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 12.5 Mh/s
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