GeForce GTX 690 vs Radeon R9 280X

When comparing GeForce GTX 690 and Radeon R9 280X, 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 GeForce GTX 690 and Radeon R9 280X is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 690 Radeon R9 280X
Power consumption (TDP) 300 Watt 250 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors Two 8-pin 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB (4 GB per GPU) GDDR5 3 GB
Display Connectors 3x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
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  • GeForce GTX 690 has 20% more power consumption, than Radeon R9 280X.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • GeForce GTX 690 has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280X.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 690 is build with Kepler architecture, and Radeon R9 280X - with GCN.
  • GeForce GTX 690 and Radeon R9 280X are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Radeon R9 280X is 264 mm longer, than GeForce GTX 690.

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
GeForce GTX 690 and Radeon R9 280X have the same average FPS in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 690 Radeon R9 280X
Architecture Kepler GCN
Code name GK104 Thaiti XTL
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 3 May 2012 8 October 2013
Pipelines 1536 2048
Core clock speed 915 MHz
Boost Clock 1019 MHz 1000 MHz
Transistor count 3,540 million 4,313 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 234 billion/sec 128.0
Floating-point performance 2x 3,130 gflops 4,096 gflops
Length 11.0" (27.9 cm) 275 mm
Memory bus width 512-bit (256-bit per GPU) 384 Bit
Memory clock speed 6008 MHz
Memory bandwidth 384 GB/s 288 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_0)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.2 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan 1.1.126 +
CUDA +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.5 kh/s
FreeSync +
CUDA cores 3072
Bus support PCI Express 3.0 PCIe 3.0
Height 4.376" (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support 4 displays
HDMI Yes (via dongle) +
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
3D Blu-Ray +
3D Gaming +
3D Vision Live +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 156 Mh/s 494 Mh/s
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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