Radeon R9 380 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU

AMD

Radeon R9 380

2015Boost: 970 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022Core: 435 MHzBoost: 1335 MHz

Radeon R9 380 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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.

Radeon R9 380 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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 RTX A500 Embedded GPU: 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

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than RTX A500 Embedded GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1000% higher power demand at 220W vs 20W.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • 3.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 20W instead of 220W, a 200W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 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?
RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.3% in PassMark G3D (6,197 vs 6,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
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, RTX A500 Embedded GPU has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 380 vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU Technical Specifications

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

AMD

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.

NVIDIA

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 435 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,197 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 380 scores 6,000 and the RTX A500 Embedded GPU reaches 6,197 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 380 is built on GCN 3.0 while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 380) vs 2,048 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 3.476 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 380) vs 5.468 TFLOPS (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 970 MHz vs 1335 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 380RTX A500 Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score
6,000
6,197+3%
Architecture
GCN 3.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
1792
2048+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.476 TFLOPS
5.468 TFLOPS+57%
Boost Clock
970 MHz
1335 MHz+38%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
112+75%
64
L1 Cache
0.44 MB
2 MB+355%
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 380 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureRadeon R9 380RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon R9 380 and 128-bit on the RTX A500 Embedded GPU. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 380) vs 2 MB (RTX A500 Embedded GPU) — the RTX A500 Embedded GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 380RTX A500 Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
2 MB+300%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 380 draws 220W versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 20W — a 166.7% difference. The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 380) vs 350W (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon R9 380RTX A500 Embedded GPU
TDP
220W
20W-91%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
82mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
27.3
309.9+1035%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX A500 Embedded GPU (2022 vs 2015).

FeatureRadeon R9 380RTX A500 Embedded GPU
MSRP
$199
Codename
Antigua
GA107S
Release
June 18 2015
March 30 2022
Ranking
#396
#389

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