Radeon R9 380X vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

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 380X vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 380X vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire: 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 380X

2015

Why buy it

✅45.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $571 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 257% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌25% higher power demand at 250W vs 200W.
❌22000% longer card at 221mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 200W instead of 250W, a 50W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 221mm, a 220mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 380X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
249.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 26.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 380X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 45.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (6,131 vs 6,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R9 380X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 380X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $571 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $800, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 257% (26.8 vs 7.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 380X vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 380X scores 6,131 and the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 380X is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 380X) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Boost clocks: 970 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	6,131+2%	6,000
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2560+25%
Boost Clock	970 MHz+8%	900 MHz
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 106 GB/s (Radeon R9 380X) vs 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — a 189.8% advantage for the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 380X and 512-bit (Dual) on the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire.

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	106 GB/s	307.2 GB/s (Dual)+190%
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit (Dual)+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 380X) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12 (12_0)	12
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 380X) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: UVD 6.0 vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	VCE 3.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 6.0	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,H.265,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VC-1	—

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 380X draws 250W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 380X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 221mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
TDP	250W	200W-20%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	221mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	24.5	30.0+22%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 380X came in at $229, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. On MSRP, Radeon R9 380X was 71.4% cheaper ($571 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.8 (Radeon R9 380X) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the Radeon R9 380X offers 257.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 380X (2015 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 380X	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
MSRP	$229-71%	$800
Performance per Dollar	26.8+257%	7.5
Codename	Antigua	Neptune CF
Release	November 19 2015	March 1 2014
Ranking	#394	#348

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