GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380

CPU

GPU

GeForce GTX 680

2012Core: 1006 MHzBoost: 1058 MHz

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Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014Core: 918 MHz

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GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 680

4 GB 195

5,609

+1.1%

GeForce RTX 2070 Super Mobile

RTX 4000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2 GB 190

5,550

0.0%

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 680 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 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 680 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380: 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 680

2012

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 285 / 380 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
150.8% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 11.2 vs 27.9 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌15.8% longer card at 256mm vs 221mm.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

✅19.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 148.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 11.2 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Measures 221mm instead of 256mm, a 35mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 2 GB 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?

Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 19.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 680 instead at 5,609 vs 5,550, 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 680 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 285 / 380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $300 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 148.1% (27.9 vs 11.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 680 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680

The GeForce GTX 680 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 22 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1058 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 195W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,609 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 680 scores 5,609 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 3.25 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score	5,609+1%	5,550
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	1792+17%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.25 TFLOPS	3.29 TFLOPS+1%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	128 KB	448 KB+250%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
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 680 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 680 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 192.2 GB/s (GeForce GTX 680) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — a 9.2% advantage for the GeForce GTX 680. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 680 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 285 / 380.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	192.2 GB/s+9%	176 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 11_0) (GeForce GTX 680) vs 12 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
DirectX	12 (FL 11_0)	12
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX 680) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Decoder: PureVideo VP5 vs UVD 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
Encoder	NVENC 1st gen	VCE 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo VP5	UVD 5.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680 draws 195W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 2.6% difference. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 680) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 256mm vs 221mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
TDP	195W	190W-3%
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	256mm	221mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	98°C	—
Perf/Watt	28.8	29.2+1%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 680 came in at $499, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 285 / 380 was 60.1% cheaper ($300 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.2 (GeForce GTX 680) vs 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 149.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 285 / 380 (2014 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680	Radeon R9 285 / 380
MSRP	$499	$199-60%
Performance per Dollar	11.2	27.9+149%
Codename	GK104	Tonga
Release	March 22 2012	September 2 2014
Ranking	#410	#365

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