Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 5500M

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 380 vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 380 vs Radeon RX 5500M: 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 380

2015

Why buy it

✅8.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌158.8% higher power demand at 220W vs 85W.

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 85W instead of 220W, a 135W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 380 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 30.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 380 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 8.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (6,000 vs 5,954), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 5500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 380 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 380 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. 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 RX 5500M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 5500M Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 380 scores 6,000 and the Radeon RX 5500M reaches 5,954 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 380 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 380) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Raw compute: 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 970 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score	6,000	5,954
Architecture	GCN 3.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1792+27%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.476 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS+33%
Boost Clock	970 MHz	1645 MHz+70%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112+27%	88
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500M is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 380 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 182.4 GB/s (Radeon R9 380) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) — a 22.8% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon R9 380 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500M. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon RX 5500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	182.4 GB/s	224 GB/s+23%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (Radeon R9 380) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M).

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder	—	VCN 2.0
Decoder	—	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 380 draws 220W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 88.5% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 380) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
TDP	220W	85W-61%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	0mm
Slots	—	0
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	27.3	70.0+156%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500M (2019 vs 2015).

Feature	Radeon R9 380	Radeon RX 5500M
MSRP	$199	—
Codename	Antigua	Navi 14
Release	June 18 2015	October 7 2019
Ranking	#396	#400

Search Radeon R9 380 on Amazon

Search Radeon RX 5500M on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.