Radeon Pro Vega 20 vs Radeon R9 280

When comparing Radeon Pro Vega 20 and Radeon R9 280, 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 Pro Vega 20 and Radeon R9 280 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon Pro Vega 20 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon Pro Vega 20 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 Pro Vega 20 here:

Main Specs

  Radeon Pro Vega 20 Radeon R9 280
Power consumption (TDP) 100 Watt 200 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type HBM2 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 3 GB
Display Connectors No outputs 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon R9 280 has 100% more power consumption, than Radeon Pro Vega 20.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon Pro Vega 20 has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280.
  • Radeon Pro Vega 20 is used in Mobile workstations, and Radeon R9 280 - in Desktops.
  • Radeon Pro Vega 20 is build with Vega architecture, and Radeon R9 280 - with GCN 1.0.
  • Radeon Pro Vega 20 is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon R9 280 - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon Pro Vega 20 is 230 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 280.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 35−40
ultra / 1080p 21−24 21−24
QHD / 1440p 16−18 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 60−65
medium / 1080p 40−45 40−45
Radeon Pro Vega 20 and Radeon R9 280 have the same average FPS in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Full Specs

  Radeon Pro Vega 20 Radeon R9 280
Architecture Vega GCN 1.0
Code name Vega Mobile Tahiti
Type Mobile workstation Desktop
Release date 15 November 2018 4 March 2014
Pipelines 1280 1792
Core clock speed 815 MHz
Boost Clock 1283 MHz 933 MHz
Transistor count 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 102.6 104.5
Floating-point performance 3,344 gflops
Length 275 mm
Memory bus width 1024 Bit 384 Bit
Memory clock speed 1480 MHz 1250 MHz
Memory bandwidth 189.4 GB/s 240 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (12_1)
Shader Model 6.3 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 +
FreeSync +
Bus support PCIe 3.0
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 408 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
TrueAudio +
Design reference
CrossFire +
DDMA audio +
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 21.5 Mh/s
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
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