Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 550
The Radeon R9 380 pulls ahead here β in a different league, about 200% ahead of the Radeon RX 550. But the Radeon RX 550 is the better value, undercutting it by $174,998 JPY for the performance you get.
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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
Pricing has the Radeon RX 550 at $12,776 JPY, $174,998 JPY under the Radeon R9 380's $187,774 JPY. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 550 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~390% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 550 still sits about $12,697 JPY above its $79 JPY MSRP. The Radeon R9 380 still sits about $187,575 JPY above its $199 JPY MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the Radeon RX 550 (50W vs 190W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter. 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 β 176 GB/s versus 96 GB/s (256-bit vs 128-bit bus) β 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?
Choose the Radeon R9 380 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 550 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
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 R9 380 worth the extra $174,998 JPY over the Radeon RX 550?
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) | 1,792β | 640 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 970 MHz | 1,019 MHzβ |
| Boost Clock | 970 MHz | 1,183 MHzβ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bitβ | 128-bit |
| Memory Speed | 5.5 Gbps | 6 Gbpsβ |
| Bandwidth | 176 GB/sβ | 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 Wβ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | None |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Apr 2017 |