GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 970 is a massive performance leap — leading the Radeon R9 380X by roughly 67% in our performance index. It also comes out ahead on value, making it the straightforward pick if the price fits your budget.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 970 is dramatically faster, around 67% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $65 USD for the GeForce GTX 970 versus $349 USD for the Radeon R9 380X. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 970 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 795%. The GeForce GTX 970 is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon R9 380X still sits about $120 USD above its $229 USD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 970 draws just 145W versus 190W for the Radeon R9 380X, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 970 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 970 or Radeon R9 380X?
The GeForce GTX 970 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 970 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 970 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the Radeon R9 380X worth the extra $284 USD over the GeForce GTX 970?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 1,664 | 2,048✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,050 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,178 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s✓ | 182.4 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 145 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Nov 2015 |