GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 970 is dramatically faster than the Radeon R9 380X, leading by roughly 67% in our performance index. The Radeon R9 380X, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $334 EUR cheaper.
Market Value Leader
Radeon R9 380X is the clear winner, offering 1015.1% better value than GeForce GTX 970.
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GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 970 is dramatically faster, around 67% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon R9 380X starts at $19 EUR against $353 EUR for the GeForce GTX 970. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380X offers the better performance-per-dollar (~1015% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380X is trading below its $229 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 970 draws just 145W versus 190W for the Radeon R9 380X, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 970 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 970 or Radeon R9 380X?
Choose the GeForce GTX 970 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 970 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 970 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the GeForce GTX 970 worth the extra $334 EUR over the Radeon R9 380X?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,664 | 2,048✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,050 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | 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 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 145 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Nov 2015 |