GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 980 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX 980 is dramatically faster, around 133% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 980 at $80 USD, $269 USD under the Radeon R9 380X's $349 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 918%. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon R9 380X still sits about $120 USD above its $229 USD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce GTX 980 (165W 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 980 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 980 or Radeon R9 380X?
The GeForce GTX 980 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 980 better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the Radeon R9 380X worth the extra $269 USD over the GeForce GTX 980?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,048 | 2,048 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz✓ | 970 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | 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 980 | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 190 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Nov 2015 |