Radeon R9 380 vs Radeon RX 580
The Radeon RX 580 is a massive performance leap — leading the Radeon R9 380 by roughly 100% in our performance index. The Radeon R9 380, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $68 USD cheaper.
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Comparable or lower specs
Radeon RX 580 vs Radeon R9 380: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 580 vs Radeon R9 380
The Radeon RX 580 is dramatically faster, around 100% ahead of the Radeon R9 380. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon RX 580 packs 2,304 stream processors versus 1,792 on the Radeon R9 380.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $42 USD for the Radeon R9 380 versus $110 USD for the Radeon RX 580. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 380 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~29% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 380 is trading below its $199 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 580 is trading below its $229 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 8GB against 2GB, the Radeon RX 580 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon R9 380's 2GB can fall short. The Radeon RX 580's memory is also faster — 256 GB/s versus 176 GB/s — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 580 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 580?
Choose the Radeon RX 580 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 380 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 580 better than the Radeon R9 380?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 380 or the Radeon RX 580?
Is the Radeon RX 580 worth the extra $68 USD over the Radeon R9 380?
Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 380 or Radeon RX 580?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 1,792 | 2,304✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 970 MHz | 1,257 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 970 MHz | 1,340 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 5.5 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 176 GB/s | 256 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon R9 380 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 190 W | 185 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Apr 2017 |
