Radeon R9 280X vs GeForce GTX 960

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon R9 280X scores 5.5 and the GeForce GTX 960 scores 5, which makes the Radeon R9 280X about 10% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The Radeon R9 280X has 3 GB of video memory and the GeForce GTX 960 has 2 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (16 against 11 fps), and the smallest is in ELDEN RING (14 against 13 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon R9 280X is rated at 250 W and the GeForce GTX 960 at 120 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 650 W for the first and 450 W for the second. A gap of 130 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon R9 280X cost $299 and the GeForce GTX 960 $199. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 960 gave more performance (2.5 points per $100 against 1.8). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon R9 280X if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce GTX 960 if the price gap matters more than the 10% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.