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 380X 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 380X: 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

✅2.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 200W instead of 250W, a 50W reduction.

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.
❌
30.6% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.4 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon R9 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 31.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 20.4 G3D/$ ($229 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.
❌25% higher power demand at 250W vs 200W.

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 2.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 380X instead at 6,131 vs 6,100, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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 380X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $299, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 31.2% (26.8 vs 20.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 380X 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 380X 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 380X

The Radeon R9 380X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,131 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 280X scores 6,100 and the Radeon R9 380X reaches 6,131 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 280X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 380X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 380X). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 280X) vs 3.973 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
G3D Mark Score	6,100	6,131
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+3%	3.973 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+3%	970 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128	128
L1 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 280X has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 380X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 380X 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 106 GB/s (Radeon R9 380X) — a 171.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 280X. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the Radeon R9 280X and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 380X. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon R9 280X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 380X) — the Radeon R9 280X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s+172%	106 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon R9 280X) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 380X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12 (12_0)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 280X) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 380X). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1 (Radeon R9 380X).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 6.0
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 280X draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 380X's 250W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon R9 280X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 280X) vs 500W (Radeon R9 380X). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75.

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
TDP	200W-20%	250W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	221mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75
Perf/Watt	30.5+24%	24.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 280X came in at $299, while the Radeon R9 380X launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon R9 380X was 23.4% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.4 (Radeon R9 280X) vs 26.8 (Radeon R9 380X) — the Radeon R9 380X offers 31.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 380X (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 280X	Radeon R9 380X
MSRP	$299	$229-23%
Performance per Dollar	20.4	26.8+31%
Codename	Tahiti	Antigua
Release	October 8 2013	November 19 2015
Ranking	#404	#394

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