GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380X
Raw performance is basically a wash between the GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380X — the gap is within margin of error. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 960 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 380X 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.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 960 at $199 USD, $150 USD under the Radeon R9 380X's $349 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 960 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 75%. The Radeon R9 380X still sits about $120 USD above its $229 USD MSRP.
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.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Radeon R9 380X carries 4GB versus 2GB on the GeForce GTX 960. The extra 2GB 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 960 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 380X 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 380X?
The GeForce GTX 960 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon R9 380X if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 960 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 960 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the Radeon R9 380X worth the extra $150 USD over the GeForce GTX 960?
Does the Radeon R9 380X have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,024 | 2,048✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,127 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 4 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 256-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 112 GB/s | 182.4 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 960 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Nov 2015 |