Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon R9 380

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.

Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon R9 380 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon R9 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.

Radeon R9 280X

2013

Why buy it

✅4.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 30.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 280X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 280X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (6,100 vs 6,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon R9 280X 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 380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 47.8% (30.2 vs 20.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R9 280X has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon R9 380 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 280X

The Radeon R9 280X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,100 points. Launch price was $299.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Radeon R9 380 reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 380). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
G3D Mark Score	6,100+2%	6,000
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048+14%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+18%	3.476 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+3%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	512 KB+14%	448 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380 carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 380 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (Radeon R9 280X) vs 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) — a 57.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 280X. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280X and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 380. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 380) — the Radeon R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+58%	182.4 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
Encoder	VCE 2.0	—
Decoder	UVD 4.2	—
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 380's 220W — a 9.5% difference. The Radeon R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
TDP	200W-9%	220W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	30.5+12%	27.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 280X came in at $299, while the Radeon R9 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 380 was 33.4% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 30.2 (Radeon R9 380) — the Radeon R9 380 offers 48% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 380 (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380
MSRP	$299	$199-33%
Performance per Dollar	20.4	30.2+48%
Codename	Tahiti	Antigua
Release	October 8 2013	June 18 2015
Ranking	#404	#396

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