GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X
On raw speed the GeForce GTX TITAN Z comes out ahead: far and away the quicker card, about 67% ahead of the Radeon R9 380X. That said, the Radeon R9 380X is the smarter buy on value — $250 USD less for the performance on offer.
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GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 380X
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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
The Radeon R9 380X currently lists from $349 USD, $250 USD less than the GeForce GTX TITAN Z at $599 USD. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380X offers the better performance-per-dollar, so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380X still sits about $120 USD above its $229 USD MSRP. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is trading below its $2,999 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 190W against 375W, the Radeon R9 380X is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern GCN 3.0 architecture on a TSMC 28nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the GeForce GTX TITAN Z at 12GB versus 4GB on the Radeon R9 380X — that extra 8GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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 TITAN Z or Radeon R9 380X?
Choose the GeForce GTX TITAN Z if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380X stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX TITAN Z better than the Radeon R9 380X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z or the Radeon R9 380X?
Is the GeForce GTX TITAN Z worth the extra $250 USD over the Radeon R9 380X?
Does the GeForce GTX TITAN Z have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX TITAN Z or Radeon R9 380X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 3.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,880✓ | 2,048 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 705 MHz | 970 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 876 MHz | 970 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB✓ | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 5.7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 336 GB/s✓ | 182.4 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 380X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 375 W | 190 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Released | May 2014 | Nov 2015 |