AMD Radeon R9 370X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X records an average benchmark score of 15,862, placing it above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which averages 14,373. The R9 370X sits at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX TITAN is at the 56th percentile.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Geekbench Metal performance?

A: The Radeon R9 370X is decisively ahead in Metal, scoring 12,676 versus 8,218 for the GTX TITAN. That is a 54.2% advantage for the AMD card in this specific API test.

Q: Which GPU wins in Vulkan workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN takes the Vulkan test with a score of 10,027, beating the R9 370X’s 9,018. The delta is 10.1% in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Q: Do they use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both chips are built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. However, the die sizes differ greatly: the R9 370X uses a 212 mm² die with 2,800 million transistors, while the GTX TITAN uses a 561 mm² die with 7,080 million transistors.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The R9 370X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX TITAN has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card also runs its memory at a slightly higher effective speed: 6 Gbps versus 5.6 Gbps.

Q: Which card requires a stronger power supply?

A: The GTX TITAN has a higher TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W, while the R9 370X draws 180 W and recommends a 450 W power supply. The TITAN also uses a 6-pin plus 8-pin connector setup, whereas the R9 370X uses two 6-pin connectors.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly across three APIs, and each card takes a clear territory. The AMD Radeon R9 370X wins two of the three head-to-head tests, including the two most demanding compute-oriented workloads. In Geekbench Metal, the R9 370X is dominant, scoring 54.2% higher than the GTX TITAN. That is a massive margin, suggesting the AMD architecture translates far better into Apple’s Metal API. The OpenCL test also goes to AMD, though by a narrower 4.1% (25,893 versus 24,873). For users running OpenCL compute tasks or Metal-based applications, the R9 370X is the clear choice.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN fights back in Vulkan, where it scores 10,027 versus 9,018 for AMD, a 10.1% edge. This is the only test the TITAN wins, but it is a meaningful one for gaming or compute workloads that rely on Vulkan. The data suggests that if your software stack is Vulkan-centric, the older Kepler architecture still holds an advantage over GCN 1.0 in that specific API. However, the overall average benchmark score favors AMD: 15,862 versus 14,373, a gap of roughly 10.4%. The R9 370X also holds a better position relative to its nearest rivals, sitting within 1.7% of the RTX 3060 Ti’s average score, while the GTX TITAN sits near much weaker parts like the Vega 11 and GTX 965M.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon R9 370X uses the Trinidad chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, belonging to the Pirate Islands (R9 300) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN uses the GK110 chip based on Kepler architecture, from the GeForce 700 generation. Both are built on the same 28 nm TSMC process, but the physical implementations diverge sharply. The GTX TITAN packs 7,080 million transistors onto a 561 mm² die, making it a much larger and more complex chip. The R9 370X fits 2,800 million transistors onto a 212 mm² die, giving it a slightly higher transistor density of 13.2M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm² for the TITAN.

The compute resources tell the story of two different scaling strategies. The GTX TITAN features 2,688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The R9 370X has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Despite having fewer than half the shading units, the R9 370X manages to outperform the TITAN in two of three benchmarks, which points to architectural efficiency gains in GCN 1.0 over Kepler in certain API contexts. The TITAN’s raw pixel rate is higher at 49.06 GPixel/s versus 32.96 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 196.2 GTexel/s versus 82.40 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput also favors the TITAN at 4.709 TFLOPS versus 2.637 TFLOPS. Yet the benchmark results show that raw throughput does not always translate to real-world API performance, especially in Metal where the AMD card is far ahead.

The API support also differs. The R9 370X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD card has a slightly higher DirectX feature level, while the NVIDIA card has a marginally newer Vulkan version. Both are end-of-life products, but the R9 370X was released on 2015-08-26, while the GTX TITAN launched earlier on 2013-02-18.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show clear differences in nearly every major category. Clock speeds favor the AMD card: the R9 370X runs at 980 MHz base and 1030 MHz boost, while the GTX TITAN runs at 836 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. Memory clocks also differ, with the TITAN at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) and the R9 370X at 1400 MHz (5.6 Gbps effective). Memory capacity is a major split: 2 GB on the R9 370X versus 6 GB on the TITAN, with bus widths of 256-bit and 384-bit respectively. Bandwidth follows accordingly: 179.2 GB/s for AMD versus 288.4 GB/s for NVIDIA.

Power requirements diverge significantly. The R9 370X has a TDP of 180 W, uses two 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 450 W PSU. The GTX TITAN has a TDP of 250 W, uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 600 W PSU. Physical dimensions also differ: the R9 370X measures 221 mm (8.7 inches) in length, while the TITAN is 267 mm (10.5 inches) long. Both are dual-slot cards, and both have the same height of 111 mm (4.4 inches). The TITAN is also 38 mm (1.5 inches) wide, while the R9 370X does not have a recorded width. Display outputs are identical: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. Both use a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The launch MSRP for the R9 370X was 199 USD, while the GTX TITAN launched at 999 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The three Geekbench tests provide a clear picture of where each card excels. The largest margin is in Geekbench Metal, where the Radeon R9 370X scores 12,676 against the GTX TITAN’s 8,218. That 54.2% difference is the single biggest gap in the head-to-head data. This is not a marginal win; it is a category-level defeat for the NVIDIA card. For any workload that leverages Metal, the R9 370X is in a different class.

The OpenCL test is closer but still goes to AMD. The R9 370X scores 25,893, while the GTX TITAN scores 24,873, a 4.1% advantage. This shows that in general-purpose compute via OpenCL, the two cards are nearly equivalent, with a slight edge to the AMD part. The TITAN’s higher FP32 throughput and larger memory bandwidth do not translate into a win here, likely due to driver optimization or architectural quirks in this specific benchmark.

The Vulkan test flips the script. The GTX TITAN scores 10,027 versus 9,018 for the R9 370X, a 10.1% lead for NVIDIA. This is the only test where the TITAN wins, but it is substantial enough to matter for Vulkan-focused users. Across the three tests, the R9 370X wins two and the TITAN wins one. The average benchmark score confirms the AMD card’s overall superiority: 15,862 versus 14,373. The R9 370X also sits closer to much more modern hardware in its nearest rival list, being within 0.1% of the RX 7700 and only 1.7% behind the RTX 3060 Ti. The GTX TITAN, by contrast, sits within 0.4% of the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, a much lower-tier part.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for most users: the AMD Radeon R9 370X is the better overall card in this comparison. It wins the majority of benchmarks, has a higher average score, and sits at a higher percentile of all GPUs. Its 54.2% Metal advantage is the single most decisive metric in this matchup, and its OpenCL win, while smaller, still secures the compute workload category. For anyone running Metal-based applications or general OpenCL compute, the R9 370X is the clear pick.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN has one specific use case where it wins: Vulkan workloads. Its 10.1% Vulkan advantage is real and could matter for users who primarily run Vulkan-based games or compute. The TITAN also offers more memory (6 GB versus 2 GB) and higher bandwidth, which could be relevant for texture-heavy workloads or larger datasets, even if the benchmark average does not reflect that advantage. However, the TITAN’s higher power draw (250 W versus 180 W), larger physical footprint, and significantly higher launch MSRP (999 USD versus 199 USD) make it a harder recommendation unless Vulkan performance is the sole priority.

For a builder choosing between these two end-of-life cards today, the R9 370X offers better measured performance in the majority of tests, a lower power requirement, and a smaller physical footprint. The GTX TITAN is only preferable if the workload is strictly Vulkan-bound and the extra memory capacity is essential. On the recorded data, the AMD card wins the head-to-head with two victories out of three and a higher average score. That is the verdict the numbers support.