AMD Radeon R9 370X vs AMD Radeon R9 M380 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon R9 M380 are both end-of-life mobile and desktop graphics solutions from the same manufacturer, yet they target different performance profiles. The data shows a clear split: the R9 370X dominates in OpenCL compute workloads, while the R9 M380 takes a decisive lead in Metal graphics tests. With an average benchmark score of 15,862 for the R9 370X and 15,521 for the R9 M380, the two cards sit within 2.2% of each other overall, yet their architectural differences produce starkly contrasting results depending on the API used. The R9 370X ranks in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the R9 M380 also lands in the 58th percentile, indicating they occupy a similar tier of overall performance despite their divergent strengths.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic disparity appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon R9 370X achieves a score of 25,893 against the R9 M380’s 12,565. That represents a 106.1% advantage for the R9 370X, meaning it more than doubles the M380’s output in this compute-heavy workload. This result aligns with the R9 370X’s larger silicon: it packs 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, compared to 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die for the M380. The R9 370X also fields 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, versus 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs on the M380. The floating-point throughput difference is equally stark — the R9 370X delivers 2.637 TFLOPS FP32 performance, while the M380 manages 1.536 TFLOPS. In raw compute, the R9 370X is the clear victor, and the OpenCL score reflects that hardware advantage almost exactly.

The reverse is true in the Geekbench Metal test. Here, the AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 18,476, while the R9 370X trails at 12,676. The M380 leads by 31.4% in this API, which is surprising given its smaller core configuration. The M380’s advantage likely stems from its more modern GCN 2.0 architecture, compared to the R9 370X’s GCN 1.0 design. The M380 also has a higher effective memory clock at 6 Gbps versus 5.6 Gbps, though it operates on a narrower 128-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth compared to the R9 370X’s 179.2 GB/s. Despite having half the ROPs and fewer TMUs, the M380’s Metal performance suggests that architectural efficiency in graphics workloads can outweigh raw hardware specifications.

Looking at the nearest rivals for context, the R9 370X’s average score of 15,862 places it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852) and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 9060 by 1% (16,014) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti by 1.7% (16,129). The R9 M380, meanwhile, averages 15,521, which is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (15,548), 1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679), and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290). The M380 also leads the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 by 1.6% (15,283). These deltas are all within a narrow band, but the head-to-head results show that the two AMD cards are not interchangeable — their performance depends heavily on the workload type.

The Verdict

From the data, the choice between these two GPUs hinges entirely on the intended software environment. For OpenCL compute tasks — which include many scientific, rendering, and general-purpose GPU workloads — the AMD Radeon R9 370X is the decisive pick. Its 106.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is not a marginal difference; it is a doubling of performance. The R9 370X’s higher shader count, wider memory bus, and greater texture fill rate (82.40 GTexel/s versus 48.00 GTexel/s) all support this outcome. Any user whose primary applications leverage OpenCL should select the R9 370X without hesitation.

For Metal-based graphics workloads, the AMD Radeon R9 M380 is the superior option, delivering 31.4% higher scores than the R9 370X. This makes the M380 the better choice for macOS-centric applications, game engines that use Metal, or any environment where Metal is the primary API. The M380’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory also doubles the R9 370X’s 2 GB capacity, which can be a meaningful advantage for texture-heavy workloads, even if the bandwidth is lower. The data does not show the M380 winning any other test, but its Metal performance is so dominant that it cannot be dismissed for graphics-focused users.

The overall average benchmark scores are close — 15,862 for the R9 370X versus 15,521 for the M380 — but this aggregate masks the fundamental divergence. The R9 370X wins one benchmark and the M380 wins the other, with each victory being substantial. Neutral analysis suggests that neither card is universally better; instead, the correct choice depends on whether the user prioritizes OpenCL compute or Metal graphics. The R9 370X’s higher transistor count and larger die size indicate it is the more physically capable part, yet the M380’s newer architecture demonstrates that design improvements can offset raw hardware deficits in specific APIs.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R9 370X wins in scenarios that stress raw compute throughput. Its OpenCL score of 25,893 is more than double the M380’s 12,565, and this advantage is backed by hardware: 1,280 shading units versus 768, 80 TMUs versus 48, and 32 ROPs versus 16. The R9 370X also has a 256-bit memory bus providing 179.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for memory-intensive compute kernels. Its pixel rate of 32.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 82.40 GTexel/s are both roughly double the M380’s 16.00 GPixel/s and 48.00 GTexel/s. Users running OpenCL-based physics simulations, video encoding, or data processing will find the R9 370X substantially faster.

The AMD Radeon R9 M380 wins in Metal graphics workloads, where it scores 18,476 versus the R9 370X’s 12,676. This 31.4% advantage is notable because it occurs despite the M380 having fewer shaders, fewer TMUs, and half the ROPs. The M380’s GCN 2.0 architecture likely provides better instruction scheduling and memory access patterns for Metal, and its higher effective memory clock of 6 Gbps (versus 5.6 Gbps) may help in certain access patterns. The M380 also has 4 GB of VRAM, which allows it to hold larger textures and frame buffers than the R9 370X’s 2 GB. For gaming or rendering applications that use Metal on supported platforms, the M380 is the better performer.

The R9 M380 also holds a slight advantage in memory capacity, doubling the R9 370X’s 2 GB to 4 GB. This does not show up directly in the benchmark scores, but it is a practical consideration for modern games and applications that require more than 2 GB of video memory. The R9 370X, however, compensates with a wider memory bus, making its bandwidth nearly double that of the M380. In summary, the R9 370X is the compute specialist, while the R9 M380 is the graphics and memory-capacity specialist.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X has an average benchmark score of 15,862, which is 2.2% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M380’s 15,521. Both cards sit in the 58th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: How do the two cards compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 25,893 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 12,565. This gives the R9 370X a 106.1% advantage, meaning it is more than twice as fast in this workload.

Q: What is the Metal benchmark result for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 18,476 in Geekbench Metal, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 12,676. The M380 leads by 31.4% in this test.

Q: Which card has more shading units and TMUs?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X has 1,280 shading units and 80 texture mapping units. The AMD Radeon R9 M380 has 768 shading units and 48 texture mapping units.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 179.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R9 M380 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X has a boost clock of 1030 MHz, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 has a boost clock of 1000 MHz. The R9 370X also has a higher base clock at 980 MHz versus 900 MHz.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations within AMD’s lineup. The AMD Radeon R9 370X is built on GCN 1.0 architecture with the Trinidad chip, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 uses GCN 2.0 architecture with the Strato chip. This generational gap explains several performance differences. The R9 370X belongs to the Pirate Islands (R9 300) generation, while the R9 M380 is part of the Gem System (R9 M300) generation. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the R9 370X has a larger die at 212 mm², housing 2,800 million transistors, whereas the M380’s die is 160 mm² with 2,080 million transistors. The transistor density is similar — 13.2M per mm² for the R9 370X versus 13.0M per mm² for the M380 — indicating the process node is consistent.

The R9 370X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), showing a higher feature level on the M380. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.2.170, so API compatibility is identical for those standards. The R9 370X is a dual-slot card with 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 180 W TDP, while the M380 has no listed power specifications or slot width, suggesting it is a mobile part with different power characteristics. The R9 370X has display outputs of 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the M380 lists no display outputs. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces. The R9 370X was released on August 26, 2015, while the M380 came earlier on May 4, 2015. The R9 370X’s predecessor is Volcanic Islands and its successor is Arctic Islands, while the M380’s predecessor is Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile.

Specification Differences

The most significant specification differences lie in the core configuration and memory subsystem. The AMD Radeon R9 370X has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the AMD Radeon R9 M380 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 32.96 GPixel/s for the R9 370X versus 16.00 GPixel/s for the M380, and a texture rate of 82.40 GTexel/s versus 48.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 2.637 TFLOPS for the R9 370X and 1.536 TFLOPS for the M380.

Clocks differ as well: the R9 370X runs at a base clock of 980 MHz and boosts to 1030 MHz, while the M380 has a base of 900 MHz and a boost of 1000 MHz. Memory clocks show a smaller gap, with the R9 370X at 1400 MHz (5.6 Gbps effective) and the M380 at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). However, the memory bus width is 256-bit on the R9 370X versus 128-bit on the M380, producing bandwidth of 179.2 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s. The R9 370X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the M380 has 4 GB. The R9 370X has a TDP of 180 W, a dual-slot design, and 2x 6-pin power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 450 W, whereas the M380 has no listed TDP, slot width, power connectors, or PSU recommendation. The R9 370X measures 221 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the M380 has no dimension data. The R9 370X’s launch MSRP was 199 USD, while the M380 has no listed launch MSRP.