Can a AMD Radeon R9 280X run Scrap Mechanic?

Yes — with compromises

The AMD Radeon R9 280X clears the minimum bar for Scrap Mechanic but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 23 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the low preset.

23FPS @ 1080p
14FPS @ 1440p
8FPS @ 4K

High preset, upscaling off, paired with a AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D-class processor.

How the AMD Radeon R9 280X measures up

RequirementAMD Radeon R9 280XMinimumRecommendedResult
GPU performance score 11 5 27 Minimum
Video memory 3 GB 0 GB 12 GB Minimum
Ray tracing — Not supported Game has no RT N/A
Upscaling FSR Not supported N/A

Recommended settings

For 60 FPS at 1080p

Use the low preset. High settings fall short here, so drop the preset before touching resolution.

At 1440p

Around 14 FPS on high — this card is happier at 1080p for this title.

At 4K

Around 8 FPS — not a realistic target for this pairing.

VRAM headroom

At 3GB you are under the 12GB this game recommends. Lower the texture setting one notch first — it costs the least visual quality per gigabyte saved.

How other cards handle Scrap Mechanic

Graphics cardTier1080p FPSvs AMD Radeon R9 280X
AMD Radeon 890M D 28 ▲ 5 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT D 26 ▲ 3 FPS Compare
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 D 23 ▼ 0 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon R9 380X D 23 ▼ 0 FPS Compare
AMD Radeon 780M D 23 ▼ 0 FPS Compare
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 D 21 ▼ 2 FPS Compare

Frequently asked questions

Can the AMD Radeon R9 280X run Scrap Mechanic?

The AMD Radeon R9 280X clears the minimum bar for Scrap Mechanic but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 23 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the low preset.

What FPS will I get?

On high settings with upscaling off: roughly 23 FPS at 1080p, 14 FPS at 1440p and 8 FPS at 4K. These are modelled estimates — see our methodology.

What settings should I use?

Start at the low preset at 1080p.

Will my processor hold this back?

These figures assume a processor fast enough not to limit the card. If yours is older, run the bottleneck calculator — this title leans on the GPU, so a modest CPU deficit costs less.