R9 380 vs RTX 4080
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | R9 380 | RTX 4080 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,218 | 19,496 | -93.8% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 28 | 149 | -81.2% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 15 | 94 | -84.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 8 | 53 | -84.9% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 3.5 | 48.7 | -92.9% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR5 | 16 GB GDDR6X | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 672 | -66.7% |
| TDP (W) | 190 | 320 | — |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | $199 | $1,199 | -83.4% |
- RTX 4080 averages 94 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 84% faster.
- R9 380 draws less power (190W vs 320W).
Verdict: R9 380 or RTX 4080?
R9 380 advantages
- Power efficiency (+41%)
- Affordability (+83%)
RTX 4080 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+84%)
- 4K gaming (+85%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+94%)
- Video memory (+75%)
- Memory bandwidth (+67%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the R9 380 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the RTX 4080 if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the R9 380 if you want the better price for the performance.
Value for money
RTX 4080 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
R9 380 vs RTX 4080: which should you choose?
R9 380 — AMD desktop graphics card (2015, GCN 3.0) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 15 fps at 1440p; launched at $199.
RTX 4080 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 16 GB of GDDR6X, averaging 94 fps at 1440p; launched at $1,199.
R9 380 vs RTX 4080: RTX 4080 is faster for gaming. RTX 4080 averages 94 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 84% faster. R9 380 draws less power (190W vs 320W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RTX 4080 averages 94 fps against 15. At 4K (8 vs 53 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 16GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 190 W versus 320 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise. At launch MSRPs of $199 vs $1,199, 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 R9 380 better than the RTX 4080?
RTX 4080 takes the overall edge, though R9 380 wins in specific areas worth weighing. RTX 4080 averages 94 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 84% faster.
What is the main difference between the R9 380 and the RTX 4080?
RTX 4080 averages 94 fps at 1440p versus 15 fps — about 84% faster. R9 380 draws less power (190W vs 320W).
Which is better value?
RTX 4080 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
Which should I choose?
Choose the R9 380 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the RTX 4080 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.