GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon R9 380X
On raw speed the GeForce GTX 1080 comes out dramatically faster — about 333% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. But the Radeon R9 380X is the better value, undercutting it by $217 EUR for the performance you get.
Market Value Leader
Radeon R9 380X is the clear winner, offering 186.5% better value than GeForce GTX 1080.
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Comparable or lower specs
GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 1080 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 1080 is dramatically faster, around 333% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
The Radeon R9 380X currently lists from $19 EUR, $217 EUR less than the GeForce GTX 1080 at $236 EUR. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380X offers the better performance-per-dollar (~187% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380X is trading below its $229 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 1080 is trading below its $599 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 180W against 190W, the GeForce GTX 1080 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern Pascal architecture on a TSMC 16nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce GTX 1080 carries 8GB versus 4GB on the Radeon R9 380X. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1080 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 1080 or Radeon R9 380X?
Choose the GeForce GTX 1080 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380X stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 1080 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1080 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the GeForce GTX 1080 worth the extra $217 EUR over the Radeon R9 380X?
Does the GeForce GTX 1080 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1080 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,560✓ | 2,048 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,607 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,733 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB✓ | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 10 Gbps✓ | 5.7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 320 GB/s✓ | 182.4 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1080 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 180 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | May 2016 | Nov 2015 |