Radeon R9 285 vs Radeon R9 280X

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon R9 285 scores 6 and the Radeon R9 280X scores 5.5, which makes the Radeon R9 285 about 9% faster. That is a small gap, below what most people notice without a frame counter.

The Radeon R9 285 has 2 GB of video memory and the Radeon R9 280X has 3 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 (13 against 16 fps), and the smallest is in ELDEN RING (15 against 14 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 285 is rated at 190 W and the Radeon R9 280X at 250 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 550 W for the first and 650 W for the second. A gap of 60 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon R9 285 cost $249 and the Radeon R9 280X $299. Per dollar, the Radeon R9 285 gave more performance (2.4 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 285 if you want the faster card, and you can accept 2 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon R9 280X if the price gap matters more than the 9% speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.