GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 380

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 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 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • +119.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • 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: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
  • Draws 170W instead of 220W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 30.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 13,170).
  • 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.
  • 29.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon R9 380?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015, 119.5% 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 3060 Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 119.5% 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 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
1080p
low109 FPS101 FPS
medium98 FPS87 FPS
high84 FPS70 FPS
ultra70 FPS41 FPS
1440p
low95 FPS88 FPS
medium83 FPS77 FPS
high70 FPS55 FPS
ultra59 FPS31 FPS
4K
low48 FPS28 FPS
medium43 FPS26 FPS
high30 FPS17 FPS
ultra26 FPS15 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
1080p
low357 FPS128 FPS
medium310 FPS98 FPS
high248 FPS78 FPS
ultra195 FPS52 FPS
1440p
low221 FPS72 FPS
medium190 FPS52 FPS
high154 FPS38 FPS
ultra123 FPS27 FPS
4K
low108 FPS27 FPS
medium89 FPS19 FPS
high72 FPS15 FPS
ultra55 FPS11 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
1080p
low593 FPS270 FPS
medium474 FPS216 FPS
high395 FPS180 FPS
ultra296 FPS135 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS202 FPS
medium356 FPS162 FPS
high296 FPS135 FPS
ultra222 FPS101 FPS
4K
low296 FPS135 FPS
medium237 FPS108 FPS
high198 FPS90 FPS
ultra148 FPS68 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
1080p
low565 FPS171 FPS
medium474 FPS142 FPS
high395 FPS128 FPS
ultra296 FPS103 FPS
1440p
low444 FPS121 FPS
medium356 FPS102 FPS
high296 FPS91 FPS
ultra222 FPS69 FPS
4K
low296 FPS71 FPS
medium237 FPS57 FPS
high198 FPS46 FPS
ultra148 FPS32 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon R9 380

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

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 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon R9 380's 6,000 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 119.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 970 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score
13,170+120%
6,000
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 3.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
3584+100%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
12.74 TFLOPS+267%
3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1777 MHz+83%
970 MHz
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
112
112
L1 Cache
3.5 MB+695%
0.44 MB
L2 Cache
3 MB+500%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 3060 Laptop GPURadeon 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 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 84.2% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 192-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon 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,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 25.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: Mobile vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
TDP
170W-23%
220W
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
Mobile
2x 6-pin
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
77.5+184%
27.3
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 380
MSRP
$199
Codename
GA106
Antigua
Release
October 12 2022
June 18 2015
Ranking
#147
#396