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GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the GeForce GTX TITAN Z comes out dramatically faster — about 67% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. But the Radeon R9 380X is the better value, undercutting it by $14 EUR for the performance you get.

Market Value Leader

It's a tight race! Both the Radeon R9 380X and the GeForce GTX TITAN Z offer nearly identical market value.

Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)

VS
NVIDIA
GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Price
€33
Performance
5/100
VRAM
12 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+84% Bandwidth (336 GB/s vs 182.4 GB/s)
+50% Memory Bus (384-bit vs 256-bit)
+41% CUDA Cores (2,880 vs 2,048)
AMD
Radeon R9 380X
Price
€19
Performance
3/100
VRAM
4 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+11% Boost Clock (970 MHz vs 876 MHz)

GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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

The Radeon R9 380X currently lists from $19 EUR, $14 EUR less than the GeForce GTX TITAN Z at $33 EUR. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380X offers the better performance-per-dollar, 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 TITAN Z is trading below its $2,999 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

At 190W against 375W, the Radeon R9 380X is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern GCN 3.0 architecture on a TSMC 28nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z carries 12GB versus 4GB on the Radeon R9 380X. The extra 8GB 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 TITAN Z 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 TITAN Z or Radeon R9 380X?

Choose the GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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 TITAN Z better than the Radeon R9 380X?

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is dramatically faster, roughly 67% ahead. The Radeon R9 380X is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z or the Radeon R9 380X?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the GeForce GTX TITAN Z worth the extra $14 EUR over the Radeon R9 380X?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the Radeon R9 380X comes out ahead.

Does the GeForce GTX TITAN Z have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 12GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX TITAN Z or Radeon R9 380X?

Choose the GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 380X
SpecificationGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon R9 380X
ArchitectureKeplerGCN 3.0
Process NodeTSMC 28nmTSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)2,8802,048

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 380X
SpecificationGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon R9 380X
Base Clock705 MHz970 MHz
Boost Clock876 MHz970 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 380X
SpecificationGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon R9 380X
VRAM Capacity12 GB4 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus384-bit256-bit
Memory Speed7 Gbps5.7 Gbps
Bandwidth336 GB/s182.4 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 380X
SpecificationGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon R9 380X
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP375 W190 W
Power Connectors2x 8-pin2x 6-pin
ReleasedMay 2014Nov 2015