GTX 660 vs R9 380
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 660 | R9 380 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 693 | 1,218 | -43.1% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 24 | 28 | -14.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 13 | 15 | -13.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 6 | 8 | -25.0% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 2.0 | 3.5 | -43.1% |
| VRAM | 2 GB GDDR5 | 4 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 168 | 224 | -25.0% |
| TDP (W) | 140 | 190 | — |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | $229 | $199 | +15.1% |
- R9 380 averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster.
- GTX 660 draws less power (140W vs 190W).
Verdict: GTX 660 or R9 380?
GTX 660 advantages
- Power efficiency (+26%)
R9 380 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+13%)
- 4K gaming (+25%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+43%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- Memory bandwidth (+25%)
- Affordability (+13%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 660 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the R9 380 if you game at 1440p.
Value for money
R9 380 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
GTX 660 vs R9 380: which should you choose?
GTX 660 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p; launched at $229.
R9 380 — AMD desktop graphics card (2015, GCN 3.0) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 15 fps at 1440p; launched at $199.
GTX 660 vs R9 380: R9 380 is faster for gaming. R9 380 averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 660 draws less power (140W vs 190W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the R9 380 averages 15 fps against 13. At 4K (6 vs 8 fps) VRAM (2GB vs 4GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 140 W versus 190 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise. At launch MSRPs of $229 vs $199, weigh the frame-rate lead against price and power draw for your target resolution.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 660 better than the R9 380?
R9 380 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. R9 380 averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 660 and the R9 380?
R9 380 averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 660 draws less power (140W vs 190W).
Which is better value?
R9 380 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 660 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the R9 380 if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.