GRID K2 vs Radeon R9 M380

GRID K2

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M380

2015Core: 900 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz
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GRID K2 vs Radeon R9 M380 Performance Spectrum

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.

GRID K2 vs Radeon R9 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.

GRID K2

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1633% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,199 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 9.2 G3D/$ ($5,199 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
  • 200% higher power demand at 225W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M380

2015

Why buy it

  • Costs $4,899 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1642.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.2 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 225W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 4 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 M380 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.5% in PassMark G3D (2,752 vs 2,737), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID K2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 M380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,899 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $5,199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1642.5% (9.2 vs 0.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K2 has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K2 vs Radeon R9 M380 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID K2

The GRID K2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,737 points. Launch price was $5,199.

AMD

Radeon R9 M380

The Radeon R9 M380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,752 points.

Graphics Performance

The GRID K2 scores 2,737 and the Radeon R9 M380 reaches 2,752 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K2 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M380 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K2) vs 768 (Radeon R9 M380). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K2) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M380).

FeatureGRID K2Radeon R9 M380
G3D Mark Score
2,737
2,752
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1536 ×2+100%
768
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS ×2+49%
1.536 TFLOPS
ROPs
32 ×2+100%
16
TMUs
128 ×2+167%
48
L1 Cache
128 KB
192 KB+50%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID K2Radeon R9 M380
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID K2 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M380 carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M380 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K2 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M380. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GRID K2) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M380) — the GRID K2 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID K2Radeon R9 M380
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB+100%
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K2 draws 225W versus the Radeon R9 M380's 75W — a 100% difference. The Radeon R9 M380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K2) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M380). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

FeatureGRID K2Radeon R9 M380
TDP
225W
75W-67%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Length
0mm
Height
0mm
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
85
Perf/Watt
12.2
36.7+201%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K2 came in at $5199, while the Radeon R9 M380 launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M380 was 94.2% cheaper ($4899 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.5 (GRID K2) vs 9.2 (Radeon R9 M380) — the Radeon R9 M380 offers 1740% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M380 (2015 vs 2013).

FeatureGRID K2Radeon R9 M380
MSRP
$5199
$300-94%
Performance per Dollar
0.5
9.2+1740%
Codename
GK104
Strato
Release
May 11 2013
May 5 2015
Ranking
#611
#607

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