GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 980 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X.
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GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 980 is dramatically faster, around 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce GTX 980 (165W vs 190W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 980 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 380X offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon R9 380X?
The GeForce GTX 980 is the faster card by about 133%. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,048 | 2,048 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s✓ | 182.4 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Nov 2015 |