GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon R9 285 / 380

GRID P40-12Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014Core: 918 MHz
Similar parts
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GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 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 P40-12Q 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.

GRID P40-12Q

2015

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
  • 2763.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,699 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 27.9 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 18.4% higher power demand at 225W vs 190W.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $5,500 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 2769% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Draws 190W instead of 225W, a 35W reduction.

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 based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.2% in PassMark G3D (5,550 vs 5,540), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID P40-12Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. 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 $5,500 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $5,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2769% (27.9 vs 1.0), 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, GRID P40-12Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID P40-12Q vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID P40-12Q

The GRID P40-12Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,540 points.

AMD

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 GRID P40-12Q scores 5,540 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID P40-12Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID P40-12Q) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P40-12Q) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score
5,540
5,550
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 3.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048+14%
1792
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.825 TFLOPS+47%
3.29 TFLOPS
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128+14%
112
L1 Cache
768 KB+71%
448 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon R9 285 / 380
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 P40-12Q has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 carries 2 GB. GRID P40-12Q gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GRID P40-12Q and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 285 / 380. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID P40-12Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the GRID P40-12Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit
256-bit+100%
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID P40-12Q draws 225W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 16.9% difference. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID P40-12Q) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon R9 285 / 380
TDP
225W
190W-16%
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
2x 6-pin
Length
221mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
24.6
29.2+19%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID P40-12Q came in at $5699, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 285 / 380 was 96.5% cheaper ($5500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (GRID P40-12Q) vs 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 2690% better value. The newer card here is GRID P40-12Q (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGRID P40-12QRadeon R9 285 / 380
MSRP
$5699
$199-97%
Performance per Dollar
1.0
27.9+2690%
Codename
GM204
Tonga
Release
August 30 2015
September 2 2014
Ranking
#433
#365

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