G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 280X better than Radeon R9 380?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. Radeon R9 280X averages 4.4% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,100 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 280X is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon R9 280X is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon R9 280X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 280X is about 50.3% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 4.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 380 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R9 380 make more sense than Radeon R9 280X?

Yes. Radeon R9 380 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture and staying closer to $199 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 280X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 280X currently gives you 1.7% higher G3D Mark and 4.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon R9 380 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon R9 280X Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 380 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	77 FPS	78 FPS
medium	63 FPS	67 FPS
high	50 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	69 FPS
medium	54 FPS	60 FPS
high	38 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	25 FPS
medium	23 FPS	24 FPS
high	14 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	140 FPS	128 FPS
medium	116 FPS	98 FPS
high	95 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	85 FPS	72 FPS
medium	64 FPS	52 FPS
high	48 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	27 FPS
medium	26 FPS	19 FPS
high	20 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	11 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	274 FPS	270 FPS
medium	220 FPS	216 FPS
high	183 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	206 FPS	202 FPS
medium	165 FPS	162 FPS
high	137 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	135 FPS
medium	110 FPS	108 FPS
high	92 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	68 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	145 FPS	139 FPS
medium	118 FPS	115 FPS
high	102 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	103 FPS
medium	87 FPS	85 FPS
high	75 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	61 FPS
medium	49 FPS	48 FPS
high	38 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	27 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 280X and Radeon R9 380

Radeon R9 280X

The Radeon R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,100 points. Launch price was $299.

Radeon R9 380

The Radeon R9 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Radeon R9 380 reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score	6,100+2%	6,000
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+14%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+18%	3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+3%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	512 KB+14%	448 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380 has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 380 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (Radeon R9 280X) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 57.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 280X. Bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 380) — the Radeon R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+58%	182.4 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
Encoder	VCE 2.0	—
Decoder	UVD 4.2	—
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 9.5% difference. The Radeon R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
TDP	200W-9%	220W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	30.5+12%	27.3

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 280X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380 launched at $199. The Radeon R9 380 costs 33.4% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) — the Radeon R9 380 offers 48% better value. The Radeon R9 380 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).