NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 vs AMD Radeon R9 280
These two cards score identically in our gaming index. The decision comes down to VRAM, power draw and price.
| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 | AMD Radeon R9 280 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance score | 9/100 | 9/100 |
| Tier | D | D |
| VRAM | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Power draw (TDP) | 120 W | 250 W |
| Launch MSRP | $199 | $279 |
| Performance per $100 | 4.5 | 3.2 |
| Release year | 2015 | 2014 |
| DLSS | — No | — No |
| FSR | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| XeSS | — No | — No |
| Ray tracing | — No | — No |
Which should you buy?
Performance is a tie, so the tie-breakers below decide it. The AMD Radeon R9 280 carries more VRAM (3GB vs 2GB), which matters at 1440p and above and for texture-heavy titles. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 draws 130W less, so it is easier on your power supply and case cooling — check the PSU calculator before committing. On launch pricing, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 offers better performance per dollar.