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 380

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 380X 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 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅1.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
15.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380

2015

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅1.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 380X 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.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
15.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.8 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

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

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. Radeon R9 380X averages 1.5% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,000 vs 6,131 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 380X is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

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

Radeon R9 380 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 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 380X is about 15.1% more expensive on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 1.5% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.2% 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 380X?

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 future-proofing and staying closer to $199 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 380X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 380X currently gives you 2.2% higher G3D Mark and 1.5% 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 380 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 380X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	78 FPS	78 FPS
medium	67 FPS	67 FPS
high	54 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	69 FPS	68 FPS
medium	60 FPS	60 FPS
high	43 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	25 FPS
medium	24 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R9 380 Open Radeon R9 380X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	128 FPS	133 FPS
medium	98 FPS	105 FPS
high	78 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	61 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	78 FPS
medium	52 FPS	58 FPS
high	38 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	31 FPS
medium	19 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R9 380 Open Radeon R9 380X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	270 FPS	276 FPS
medium	216 FPS	221 FPS
high	180 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	138 FPS
1440p
low	202 FPS	207 FPS
medium	162 FPS	166 FPS
high	135 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	103 FPS
4K
low	135 FPS	138 FPS
medium	108 FPS	110 FPS
high	90 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	69 FPS

Open Radeon R9 380 Open Radeon R9 380X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
1080p
low	139 FPS	135 FPS
medium	115 FPS	112 FPS
high	100 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	100 FPS
medium	85 FPS	83 FPS
high	74 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	61 FPS	60 FPS
medium	48 FPS	47 FPS
high	38 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	26 FPS

Open Radeon R9 380 Open Radeon R9 380X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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.

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 380 scores 6,000 and the Radeon R9 380X reaches 6,131 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 380 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon R9 380X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 380) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 380X). Raw compute: 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380) vs 3.973 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380X). Boost clocks: 970 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
G3D Mark Score	6,000	6,131+2%
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792	2048+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.476 TFLOPS	3.973 TFLOPS+14%
Boost Clock	970 MHz	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112	128+14%
L1 Cache	448 KB	512 KB+14%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 380	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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) vs 106 GB/s (Radeon R9 380X) — a 72.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 380. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	182.4 GB/s+72%	106 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

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

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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 380 draws 220W versus the Radeon R9 380X's 250W — a 12.8% difference. The Radeon R9 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 380) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon R9 380X
TDP	220W-12%	250W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	221mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	75
Perf/Watt	27.3+11%	24.5

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 380 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380X launched at $229. The Radeon R9 380 costs 13.1% less ($30 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) vs 26.8 (Radeon R9 380X) — the Radeon R9 380 offers 12.7% better value.