Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 550
The Radeon R9 380 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 200% ahead of the 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.
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 — 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 faster card by about 200%. 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 Radeon R9 380 better than the Radeon RX 550?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 380 or 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) | 1,792✓ | 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 |