Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 560
Performance-wise the Radeon R9 380 is out front, dramatically faster, roughly 50% up on the Radeon RX 560. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.
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Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 560: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 560
The Radeon R9 380 is dramatically faster, around 50% ahead of the Radeon RX 560. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon R9 380 packs 1,792 stream processors versus 1,024 on the Radeon RX 560.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon R9 380 starts at $42 USD against $55 USD for the Radeon RX 560. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon R9 380 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 94%. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 560 is trading below its $99 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 560 sips power at 60W next to the Radeon R9 380's 190W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU. 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 112 GB/s (256-bit vs 128-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 560 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 560?
The Radeon R9 380 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 RX 560 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon R9 380 better than the Radeon RX 560?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 380 or the Radeon RX 560?
Is the Radeon RX 560 worth the extra $13 USD over the Radeon R9 380?
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 380 or Radeon RX 560?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 560 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 1,792✓ | 1,024 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 560 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 970 MHz | 1,175 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 970 MHz | 1,275 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 560 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 128-bit |
| Memory Speed | 5.5 Gbps | 7 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 176 GB/s✓ | 112 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 560 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| TDP | 190 W | 60 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | None |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Apr 2017 |