AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000) vs AMD Radeon R9 280X

AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000)

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 is an integrated GPU for notebooks. It is used for the Ryzen 7 APUs of the Renoir generation (Ryzen 4000 Mobile) and Cezanne (Ryzen 5000 Mobile). The GPU is based on the Vega architecture (5th generation GCN) and has 8 CUs (= 512 of the 704 shaders) clocked at up to 1,750 MHz (Ryzen 7 4800U) or 2,100 MHz (Ryzen 9 5980HX). The performance depends on the configured TDP (12-25 W at launch), the clocks, the cooling, and the memory configuration). The GPU should benefit from fast dual-channel DDR4-3200 RAM (contrary to DDR4-2133 single-channel, which is also possible). Compared to the similar Radeon RX Vega 8 in the Raven Ridge generation (Ryzen 2000 Mobile), the GPU is clocked significantly higher (1.750 versus 1.100 MHz Boost, +59%).

The Vega architecture offers some improvements over the Polaris generation and now supports DirectX 12 Feature Level 12_1. More information is available in our dedicated article about the Raven Ridge architecture.

The performance is clearly faster than the old RX Vega 8 thanks to the higher clock speed and faster main memory (if used). Still it is positioned in the entry level (compared to dedicated graphics cards) and only suited for low demanding games.

Thanks to the modern 7nm process and clever power-saving features, the power consumption is comparatively low (according to AMD), so the graphics card can also be used for slim and light notebooks.

AMD Radeon R9 280X

The AMD Radeon R9 280X is a fast single-GPU graphics card for desktop PCs, that has been presented in October 2013. It is based on the "Tahiti" GPU and manufactured in 28 nanometers. The card offers 2048 shader units and a 384-bit memory interface (3 GB GDDR5, 288 GB/s).

Architecture

The R9 280X uses the same chip as the older Radeon HD 7970. Tahiti is based on the GCN architecture and offers 2048 shaders, 128 TMUs and 32 ROPs. Compared to the HD 7970, the R9 280X clocks slightly higher at 1050 MHz for the Core (max. Boost) and 1500 MHz (6000 MHz effective) for the memory. The 280X supports DirectX 12 (FL 11_1), but lacks the new Trueaudio feature.

Performance

Depending on game and settings, the performance of the Radeon R9 280X is similar to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 770. Therefore, even the fastest mobile GPUs like the GeForce GTX 780M are outperformed by more than 30 percent. Demanding games like Metro: Last Light can be played fluently in 2560 x 1600 pixels and maximum settings. In some cases, even higher resolutions or additional AA/AF are possible.

Features

The R9 280X supports well-known features like Eyefinity, but also some innovations such as a new turbo mode. Depending on power consumption and temperature, the core can be boosted up to 1050 MHz. However, there is no offical base clock respectively a lower limit.

Power Consumption

Thanks to dynamic clock adjustments and the Zero Core technology, the R9 280X is very energy efficient while idle. Under load, the card is rated at a typical power consumption of 250 watts.