GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380
Raw performance is basically a wash between the GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 — the gap is within margin of error.
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GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380
The GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380 post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to entry-level 1080p gaming.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce GTX 960 (120W vs 190W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 960 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 960 or Radeon R9 380?
The GeForce GTX 960 is the faster card. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 960 better than the Radeon R9 380?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 960 or the Radeon R9 380?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,024 | 1,792✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,127 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 256-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.5 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 176 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 120 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Jan 2015 | Jun 2015 |