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 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅77.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 58.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm 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 $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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 47.8 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

✅77.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 58.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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 47.8 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than Radeon R9 380?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM averages 77.8% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 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 3050 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015, 98.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 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 3050 OEM is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is about 25.1% more expensive on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 77.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 98.2% 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 380 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	130 FPS	78 FPS
medium	113 FPS	67 FPS
high	99 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	69 FPS
medium	96 FPS	60 FPS
high	81 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	25 FPS
medium	57 FPS	24 FPS
high	39 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 380

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	239 FPS	128 FPS
medium	206 FPS	98 FPS
high	164 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	72 FPS
medium	135 FPS	52 FPS
high	112 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	27 FPS
medium	74 FPS	19 FPS
high	62 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	11 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 380

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	535 FPS	270 FPS
medium	428 FPS	216 FPS
high	357 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	202 FPS
medium	321 FPS	162 FPS
high	268 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	135 FPS
medium	214 FPS	108 FPS
high	178 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 380

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
1080p
low	467 FPS	139 FPS
medium	414 FPS	115 FPS
high	335 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	103 FPS
medium	321 FPS	85 FPS
high	236 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	61 FPS
medium	175 FPS	48 FPS
high	150 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 380

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and Radeon R9 380

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

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 3050 OEM scores 11,892 versus the Radeon R9 380's 6,000 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 98.2%. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1755 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score	11,892+98%	6,000
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 3.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+43%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.986 TFLOPS+159%	3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1755 MHz+81%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	2.5 MB+468%	0.44 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM 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.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon 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 3050 OEM comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 22.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+23%	182.4 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	—
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	—
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	H.264,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM draws 130W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 51.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 380
TDP	130W-41%	220W
Recommended PSU	450W-10%	500W
Power Connector	8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	235mm	—
Height	124mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	91.5+235%	27.3

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 380 launched at $199. The Radeon R9 380 costs 20.1% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 58.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2015).