Radeon HD 8950 vs Radeon R9 M380

Radeon HD 8950

2012Boost: 1250 MHz

Radeon R9 M380

2015Core: 900 MHzBoost: 1000 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon HD 8950

200

2,828

+2.8%

Radeon R9 M275X / M375

2,752

0.0%

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon R9 M380

#369

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

1184%

#371

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

1073%

#372

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

1070%

#376

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

973%

#377

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

967%

#379

Radeon R9 M380

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

100%

#381

Radeon HD 7640G

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

99%

#384

Radeon R7 M465

MSRP: $120|Avg: $35

96%

#386

GeForce GT 640M LE

MSRP: $80|Avg: $20

95%

#387

Radeon Vega 8 Ryzen 5 3450U

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

95%

#388

GeForce GT 755M Mac Edition

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

94%

#389

HD Graphics 520

MSRP: $100|Avg: $35

94%

#390

Radeon HD 8600/8700M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

94%

#391

Radeon R9 M395X

MSRP: $600|Avg: $150

93%

#393

Radeon R9 M485X

MSRP: $450|Avg: $150

92%

#394

Radeon HD 8570D + HD 6670 Dual

MSRP: $150|Avg: $100

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 8950 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.8% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon R9 M380 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+2.8%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.8%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+33.3%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (267mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 M380 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 M380 holds the technical lead. Priced at $300 (vs $499), it costs 40% less, resulting in a 61.9% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+61.9%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($499)	✅More affordable ($300)

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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.

Radeon HD 8950 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M380 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8950 and Radeon R9 M380

Radeon HD 8950

The Radeon HD 8950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 31 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1250 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,828 points. Launch price was $449.

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 Radeon HD 8950 scores 2,828 and the Radeon R9 M380 reaches 2,752 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8950 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M380 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 768 (Radeon R9 M380). Raw compute: 2.867 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8950) vs 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M380). Boost clocks: 1250 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
G3D Mark Score	2,828+3%	2,752
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1792+133%	768
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.867 TFLOPS+87%	1.536 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1250 MHz+25%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	112+133%	48
L1 Cache	448 KB+133%	192 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8950 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M380 has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M380 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 8950) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M380) — the Radeon HD 8950 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	96 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 M380). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
DirectX	12_0	12 (12_0)
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 8950) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 M380). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs UVD 6.0.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 3.1	UVD 6.0
Codecs	—	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),MPEG-2,VC-1,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8950 draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 M380's 75W — a 90.9% difference. The Radeon R9 M380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 8950) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M380). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 8950	Radeon R9 M380
TDP	200W	75W-63%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	—	85
Perf/Watt	14.1	36.7+160%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon HD 8950 launched at $499 MSRP and currently averages $499, while the Radeon R9 M380 launched at $300 and now averages $300. The Radeon R9 M380 costs 39.9% less ($199 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 5.7 (Radeon HD 8950) vs 9.2 (Radeon R9 M380) — the Radeon R9 M380 offers 61.4% better value. The Radeon R9 M380 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2012).