Radeon R9 280 vs Radeon RX 540
Find out if it is worth upgrading your current GPU setup by comparing Radeon R9 280 and Radeon RX 540. Here you can take a closer look at graphics cards specs, such as core clock speed, memory type and size, display connectors, etc. The price, overall benchmark and gaming performances are usually defining factors when it comes to choosing between Radeon R9 280 and Radeon RX 540. Make sure that the graphics card has compatible dimensions and will properly fit in your new or current computer case. Also these graphics cards may have different system power recommendations, so take that into consideration and upgrade your PSU if necessary.
Radeon RX 540 is a Laptop Graphics Card
Note: Radeon RX 540 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 RX 540 here:
Main Specs
Radeon R9 280
Radeon RX 540
Power consumption (TDP)
200 Watt
65 Watt
Interface
PCIe 3.0 x16
PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors
1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
1x 6-pin
Memory type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount
3 GB
4 GB
Display Connectors
2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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Radeon R9 280 has 207% more power consumption, than Radeon RX 540.
Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
Radeon RX 540 has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280.
Radeon R9 280 is used in Desktops, and Radeon RX 540 - in Laptops.
Radeon R9 280 is build with GCN 1.0 architecture, and Radeon RX 540 - with Polaris.
Radeon R9 280 is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Radeon RX 540 - by 14 nm process technology.
Memory clock speed of Radeon RX 540 is 4750 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 280.
Game benchmarks
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Battlefield 5
Call of Duty: Warzone
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Cyberpunk 2077
Dota 2
Far Cry 5
Fortnite
Forza Horizon 4
Grand Theft Auto V
Metro Exodus
Minecraft
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
Red Dead Redemption 2
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
World of Tanks
high / 1080p
35−40
14−16
ultra / 1080p
21−24
8−9
QHD / 1440p
16−18
3−4
4K / 2160p
10−11
−
low / 720p
60−65
30−33
medium / 1080p
40−45
18−20
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 140% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
55−60
21−24
ultra / 1080p
45−50
20−22
QHD / 1440p
35−40
6−7
4K / 2160p
18−20
5−6
low / 720p
100−110
45−50
medium / 1080p
60−65
24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Battlefield 5 is 157% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
50−55
45−50
QHD / 1440p
0−1
0−1
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Call of Duty: Warzone is 10% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
250−260
200−210
medium / 768p
220−230
170−180
ultra / 1080p
180−190
90−95
QHD / 1440p
110−120
50−55
4K / 2160p
70−75
30−33
high / 768p
210−220
130−140
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is 53% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
60−65
55−60
ultra / 1080p
−
35−40
medium / 1080p
55−60
45−50
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Cyberpunk 2077 is 15% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
120−130
100−110
medium / 768p
110−120
90−95
ultra / 1080p
100−110
60−65
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Dota 2 is 33% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
45−50
16−18
ultra / 1080p
40−45
14−16
QHD / 1440p
27−30
−
4K / 2160p
14−16
6−7
low / 720p
80−85
35−40
medium / 1080p
45−50
18−20
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Far Cry 5 is 147% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
60−65
24−27
ultra / 1080p
45−50
18−20
QHD / 1440p
27−30
16−18
4K / 2160p
27−30
−
low / 720p
180−190
95−100
medium / 1080p
110−120
50−55
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Fortnite is 107% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
60−65
24−27
ultra / 1080p
45−50
18−20
QHD / 1440p
30−35
8−9
4K / 2160p
24−27
−
low / 720p
100−110
50−55
medium / 1080p
65−70
27−30
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Forza Horizon 4 is 142% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
140−150
80−85
medium / 768p
120−130
70−75
high / 1080p
70−75
27−30
ultra / 1080p
30−35
12−14
QHD / 1440p
21−24
2−3
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Grand Theft Auto V is 102% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
24−27
9−10
ultra / 1080p
20−22
7−8
QHD / 1440p
16−18
−
4K / 2160p
8−9
2−3
low / 720p
65−70
27−30
medium / 1080p
30−35
12−14
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Metro Exodus is 158% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
130−140
110−120
ultra / 1080p
−
100−110
medium / 1080p
120−130
100−110
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Minecraft is 18% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
−
21−24
ultra / 1080p
14−16
16−18
low / 720p
100−110
55−60
medium / 1080p
18−20
24−27
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS is 39% more, than Radeon RX 540.
high / 1080p
24−27
14−16
ultra / 1080p
16−18
9−10
QHD / 1440p
10−11
0−1
4K / 2160p
7−8
−
low / 720p
65−70
27−30
medium / 1080p
35−40
16−18
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in Red Dead Redemption 2 is 111% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
130−140
50−55
medium / 768p
85−90
30−35
high / 1080p
45−50
18−20
ultra / 1080p
24−27
10−11
4K / 2160p
16−18
8−9
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 158% more, than Radeon RX 540.
low / 768p
90−95
100−105
medium / 768p
60−65
60−65
ultra / 1080p
50−55
30−35
high / 768p
60−65
50−55
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 280 in World of Tanks is 8% more, than Radeon RX 540.
Full Specs
Radeon R9 280
Radeon RX 540
Architecture
GCN 1.0
Polaris
Code name
Tahiti
Polaris 12
Type
Desktop
Laptop
Release date
4 March 2014
21 March 2017
Pipelines
1792
512
Boost Clock
933 MHz
1219 MHz
Transistor count
4,313 million
1,500 million
Manufacturing process technology
28 nm
14 nm
Texture fill rate
104.5
39.01
Floating-point performance
3,344 gflops
1,248 gflops
Length
275 mm
Memory bus width
384 Bit
128 Bit
Memory clock speed
1250 MHz
6000 MHz
Memory bandwidth
240 GB/s
96 GB/s
Shared memory
-
DirectX
12.0
Shader Model
5.1
5.0
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
OpenCL
1.2
1.2
Vulkan
+
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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