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

✅2.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 200W instead of 250W, a 50W reduction.

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.
❌
30.6% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 31.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($229 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.
❌25% higher power demand at 250W vs 200W.

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅2.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 200W instead of 250W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 31.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($229 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.
❌
30.6% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $229 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.
❌25% higher power demand at 250W vs 200W.

Quick Answers

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

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. Radeon R9 280X averages 2.8% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,100 vs 6,131 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 380X is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, 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 380X can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $229 MSRP. Radeon R9 380X is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon R9 380X is about $70 cheaper on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.5% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 280X is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about lower power draw (200W vs 250W) and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 280X 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 lower power draw (200W vs 250W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $299 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 380X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 380X currently gives you 0.5% higher G3D Mark and lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.2%.

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 380X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	77 FPS	78 FPS
medium	63 FPS	67 FPS
high	50 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	65 FPS	68 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	23 FPS
high	14 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	140 FPS	133 FPS
medium	116 FPS	105 FPS
high	95 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	61 FPS
1440p
low	85 FPS	78 FPS
medium	64 FPS	58 FPS
high	48 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	31 FPS
medium	26 FPS	23 FPS
high	20 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	274 FPS	276 FPS
medium	220 FPS	221 FPS
high	183 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	138 FPS
1440p
low	206 FPS	207 FPS
medium	165 FPS	166 FPS
high	137 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	103 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	138 FPS
medium	110 FPS	110 FPS
high	92 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	69 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	145 FPS	135 FPS
medium	118 FPS	112 FPS
high	102 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	100 FPS
medium	87 FPS	83 FPS
high	75 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	60 FPS
medium	49 FPS	47 FPS
high	38 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	26 FPS

Open Radeon R9 280X Open Radeon R9 380X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 380X

The Radeon R9 380X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,131 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Radeon R9 380X reaches 6,131 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 380X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 380X). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 3.973 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
G3D Mark Score	6,100	6,131
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+3%	3.973 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+3%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128	128
L1 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
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 380X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 380X offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (Radeon R9 280X) vs 106 GB/s (Radeon R9 380X) — a 171.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 280X. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 380X) — the Radeon R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+172%	106 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 380X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 380X). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1 (Radeon R9 380X).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 380X's 250W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380X). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
TDP	200W-20%	250W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	221mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	30.5+24%	24.5

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 280X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380X launched at $229. The Radeon R9 380X costs 23.4% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 26.8 (Radeon R9 380X) — the Radeon R9 380X offers 31.4% better value. The Radeon R9 380X is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).