GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380
On raw speed the GeForce GTX 1060 comes out ahead: far and away the quicker card, about 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380. Best performance and best value in one card here β the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 1060 vs Radeon R9 380
The GeForce GTX 1060 is dramatically faster, around 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
The GeForce GTX 1060 currently lists from $23,700 JPY, $164,074 JPY less than the Radeon R9 380 at $187,774 JPY. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 1060 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 1749%. The GeForce GTX 1060 still sits about $23,401 JPY above its $299 JPY MSRP. The Radeon R9 380 still sits about $187,575 JPY above its $199 JPY MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 120W against 190W, the GeForce GTX 1060 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
VRAM favors the GeForce GTX 1060 at 6GB versus 2GB on the Radeon R9 380 β that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1060 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 1060 or Radeon R9 380?
The GeForce GTX 1060 is the all-round winner here β it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon R9 380 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 1060 better than the Radeon R9 380?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1060 or the Radeon R9 380?
Is the Radeon R9 380 worth the extra $164,074 JPY over the GeForce GTX 1060?
Does the GeForce GTX 1060 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon R9 380?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,280 | 1,792β |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,506 MHzβ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,708 MHzβ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GBβ | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 256-bitβ |
| Memory Speed | 8 Gbpsβ | 5.5 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 192 GB/sβ | 176 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 120 Wβ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Jul 2016 | Jun 2015 |