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GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 380

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes out dramatically faster — about 233% ahead of the Radeon R9 380. But the Radeon R9 380 is the better value, undercutting it by $1,070 EUR for the performance you get.

Market Value Leader

Radeon R9 380 is the clear winner, offering 1080.6% better value than GeForce GTX 980 Ti.

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

VS
Price
€1,098
Performance
10/100
VRAM
6 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+91% Bandwidth (336.5 GB/s vs 176 GB/s)
+57% CUDA Cores (2,816 vs 1,792)
+50% Memory Bus (384-bit vs 256-bit)
AMD
Radeon R9 380
Price
€28
Performance
3/100
VRAM
2 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage

Comparable or lower specs

GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 380

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster, around 233% ahead of the Radeon R9 380. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

The Radeon R9 380 currently lists from $28 EUR, $1,070 EUR less than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti at $1,098 EUR. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~1081% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti still sits about $449 EUR above its $649 EUR MSRP.

Power & Efficiency

On power, the Radeon R9 380 is the gentler choice at 190W versus 250W. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is more efficient per watt because it's faster, but its higher 250W draw means more heat and a bigger PSU.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti carries 6GB versus 2GB on the Radeon R9 380. The extra 4GB 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 980 Ti 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 980 Ti or Radeon R9 380?

Choose the GeForce GTX 980 Ti if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than the Radeon R9 380?

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster, roughly 233% ahead. The Radeon R9 380 is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti or the Radeon R9 380?

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 980 Ti worth the extra $1,070 EUR over the Radeon R9 380?

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

Does the GeForce GTX 980 Ti have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 6GB (vs 2GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 Ti or Radeon R9 380?

Choose the GeForce GTX 980 Ti if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 Ti and Radeon R9 380
SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon R9 380
ArchitectureMaxwellGCN 3.0
Process NodeTSMC 28nmTSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)2,8161,792

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 Ti and Radeon R9 380
SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon R9 380
Base Clock1,000 MHz970 MHz
Boost Clock1,075 MHz970 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 Ti and Radeon R9 380
SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon R9 380
VRAM Capacity6 GB2 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus384-bit256-bit
Memory Speed7 Gbps5.5 Gbps
Bandwidth336.5 GB/s176 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 Ti and Radeon R9 380
SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon R9 380
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP250 W190 W
Power Connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin2x 6-pin
ReleasedJun 2015Jun 2015