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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD Radeon R9 M280X: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI250 and Radeon R9 M280X?
The gap that matters here is memory bandwidth: Instinct MI250 3200 GB/s against Radeon R9 M280X 96 GB/s, which puts Instinct MI250 97% ahead. Memory bus width runs the same way, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 128 bit on the Radeon R9 M280X, another win for Instinct MI250. There is a split on product type as well, Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI250 versus Laptop GPU on the Radeon R9 M280X. Board partner is not the same on both, Reference on the Instinct MI250 versus AMD on the Radeon R9 M280X. Memory type is closer, HBM2E on the Instinct MI250 versus GDDR5 on the Radeon R9 M280X. There is a split on architecture as well, CDNA2 on the Instinct MI250 versus GCN on the Radeon R9 M280X. Shader units is not the same on both, 13312 on the Instinct MI250 versus 896 on the Radeon R9 M280X. They differ on form factor too, OAM Module on the Instinct MI250 versus Component on the Radeon R9 M280X.
Who each one is for
The Instinct MI250 is the one to take for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). Avoid it for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. The Radeon R9 M280X suits buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not the pick for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is not the one for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: gpu brand are identical here.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI250
- AMD
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- Laptop GPU
Series
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- Legacy
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Reference
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- AMD (Reference)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- GDDR5Best
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- GCN
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI250
- TSMC 6nm FinFET
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- Other
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- 896
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- 128 bit-98%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- 96 GB/s-97%
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- February 2015
Form Factor
- AMD Instinct MI250
- OAM Module
- AMD Radeon R9 M280X
- Component
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 128 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 96 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon R9 M280X if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.




