GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon R9 380

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

2019Core: 1365 MHzBoost: 1680 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon R9 380

2015Boost: 970 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

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.

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.

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

  • +135.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Delivers 34.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 14,114).
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 30.2 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 better than Radeon R9 380?
Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 14,114 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 380 is a 2015 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015, 135.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 2060 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 2060 is about 75.4% more expensive on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 135.2% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 380 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is Radeon R9 380 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 380 is 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,000 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
1080p
low108 FPS101 FPS
medium98 FPS87 FPS
high82 FPS70 FPS
ultra69 FPS41 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS88 FPS
medium83 FPS77 FPS
high69 FPS55 FPS
ultra60 FPS31 FPS
4K
low47 FPS28 FPS
medium43 FPS26 FPS
high31 FPS17 FPS
ultra27 FPS15 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
1080p
low290 FPS138 FPS
medium247 FPS105 FPS
high197 FPS83 FPS
ultra155 FPS56 FPS
1440p
low192 FPS77 FPS
medium164 FPS55 FPS
high131 FPS40 FPS
ultra104 FPS29 FPS
4K
low108 FPS28 FPS
medium91 FPS19 FPS
high75 FPS15 FPS
ultra57 FPS11 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
1080p
low635 FPS270 FPS
medium508 FPS216 FPS
high423 FPS180 FPS
ultra318 FPS135 FPS
1440p
low476 FPS202 FPS
medium381 FPS162 FPS
high318 FPS135 FPS
ultra238 FPS101 FPS
4K
low318 FPS135 FPS
medium254 FPS108 FPS
high212 FPS90 FPS
ultra159 FPS68 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
1080p
low428 FPS171 FPS
medium354 FPS142 FPS
high286 FPS128 FPS
ultra244 FPS103 FPS
1440p
low357 FPS121 FPS
medium302 FPS102 FPS
high235 FPS91 FPS
ultra193 FPS69 FPS
4K
low204 FPS71 FPS
medium166 FPS57 FPS
high154 FPS46 FPS
ultra119 FPS32 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 2060 and Radeon R9 380

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

AMD

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon R9 380's 6,000 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 135.2%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 970 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score
14,114+135%
6,000
Architecture
Turing
GCN 3.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1920+7%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.451 TFLOPS+86%
3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1680 MHz+73%
970 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
120+7%
112
L1 Cache
1.9 MB+332%
0.44 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 380 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 2060 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 84.2% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity
6 GB+50%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s+84%
182.4 GB/s
Bus Width
192-bit
256-bit+33%
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB
🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
Encoder
NVENC (Turing)
Decoder
NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 31.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
TDP
160W-27%
220W
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
8-pin
2x 6-pin
Length
229mm
Height
113mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
72
Perf/Watt
88.2+223%
27.3
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380 launched at $199. The Radeon R9 380 costs 43% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 33.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 2060Radeon R9 380
MSRP
$349
$199-43%
Performance per Dollar
40.4+34%
30.2
Codename
TU106
Antigua
Release
January 7 2019
June 18 2015
Ranking
#168
#396