GeForce GTX 480M vs Radeon R7 M380

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 480M

2010Core: 425 MHz

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Radeon R7 M380

2015Core: 900 MHzBoost: 915 MHz

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GeForce GTX 480M vs Radeon R7 M380 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 480M

2 GB 100

1,653

0.0%

1,669

+1.0%

Radeon R7 PRO A10-9700E

Radeon R9 M275

Radeon R7 512 Cores (Kaveri Desktop)

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

About G3D Mark

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.

GeForce GTX 480M vs Radeon R7 M380 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 480M vs Radeon R7 M380: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 480M

2010

Why buy it

✅66.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon R7 M380

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 480M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 480M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 66.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R7 M380 instead at 1,669 vs 1,653, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 480M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R7 M380 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R7 M380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 480M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 480M vs Radeon R7 M380 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce GTX 480M

The GeForce GTX 480M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 25 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 425 MHz. It has 352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,653 points.

Radeon R7 M380

The Radeon R7 M380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 915 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,669 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 480M scores 1,653 and the Radeon R7 M380 reaches 1,669 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 480M is built on Fermi while the Radeon R7 M380 uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 352 (GeForce GTX 480M) vs 640 (Radeon R7 M380). Raw compute: 0.5984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 480M) vs 1.171 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 M380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
G3D Mark Score	1,653	1,669
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	352	640+82%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5984 TFLOPS	1.171 TFLOPS+96%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	44+10%	40
L1 Cache	704 KB+340%	160 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 480M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R7 M380 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 480M has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R7 M380 carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 480M gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 480M and 128-bit on the Radeon R7 M380. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GTX 480M) vs 256 KB (Radeon R7 M380) — the GeForce GTX 480M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 480M) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R7 M380). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.0	4.6+15%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 480M) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R7 M380). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 480M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon R7 M380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	VCE 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 480M draws 100W versus the Radeon R7 M380's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon R7 M380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 480M) vs 350W (Radeon R7 M380). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	95°C	—
Perf/Watt	16.5	22.3+35%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R7 M380 (2015 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 480M	Radeon R7 M380
MSRP	—	$300
Codename	GF100	Tropo
Release	May 25 2010	May 5 2015
Ranking	#743	#737

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