GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380
The GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 trade blows on raw performance, landing within a few percent of each other. But the Radeon R9 380 is the better value, undercutting it by $149 EUR for the performance you get.
Market Value Leader
Radeon R9 380 is the clear winner, offering 731.0% better value than GeForce GTX 960.
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GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380
The GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to entry-level 1080p gaming.
Price & Value
The Radeon R9 380 currently lists from $20 EUR, $149 EUR less than the GeForce GTX 960 at $169 EUR. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~731% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 960 is trading below its $199 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 120W against 190W, the GeForce GTX 960 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 960 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 380 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 960 or Radeon R9 380?
Choose the GeForce GTX 960 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380 stretches your money further for near-identical performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 960 better than the Radeon R9 380?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 960 or the Radeon R9 380?
Is the GeForce GTX 960 worth the extra $149 EUR over the Radeon R9 380?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,024 | 1,792✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,127 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 256-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.5 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 176 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 120 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Jan 2015 | Jun 2015 |