Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 550
On raw speed the Radeon R9 380 comes out dramatically faster — about 200% ahead of the Radeon RX 550. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
Market Value Leader
Radeon R9 380 is the clear winner, offering 1097.5% better value than Radeon RX 550.
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Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 550: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 550
The Radeon R9 380 is dramatically faster, around 200% ahead of the Radeon RX 550. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon R9 380 packs 1,792 stream processors versus 640 on the Radeon RX 550.
Price & Value
The Radeon R9 380 currently lists from $20 EUR, $61 EUR less than the Radeon RX 550 at $81 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon R9 380 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 1097%. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 50W against 190W, the Radeon RX 550 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern GCN 4.0 (Polaris) architecture on a GloFo 14nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Memory & Bandwidth
The Radeon R9 380's memory is faster — 176 GB/s versus 96 GB/s (256-bit vs 128-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 550 is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon R9 380 (GCN 4.0 (Polaris) vs GCN 3.0), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 380 or Radeon RX 550?
The Radeon R9 380 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon RX 550 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon R9 380 better than the Radeon RX 550?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 380 or the Radeon RX 550?
Is the Radeon RX 550 worth the extra $61 EUR over the Radeon R9 380?
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 380 or Radeon RX 550?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 1,792✓ | 640 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 970 MHz | 1,019 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 970 MHz | 1,183 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 128-bit |
| Memory Speed | 5.5 Gbps | 6 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 176 GB/s✓ | 96 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| TDP | 190 W | 50 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | None |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Apr 2017 |