AMD Radeon R9 M380 vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a complex comparison. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the clear winner on architectural merit and raw compute specifications, but the recorded benchmark data tells a different story. In the single head-to-head benchmark available (Geekbench OpenCL), the RX 9070 XT scores 17428 versus 12565 for the R9 M380, a 27.9% advantage. However, the average benchmark scores in the database show the R9 M380 at 15521, which is actually 14.6% higher than the RX 9070 XT's average of 13543. This discrepancy suggests the RX 9070 XT's average is dragged down by its Passmark legacy API results, which are extremely low (DirectX 9: 353, DirectX 10: 154, DirectX 11: 292, DirectX 12: 78). For modern workloads using Vulkan or OpenCL, the RX 9070 XT is superior. For legacy DirectX compatibility, the R9 M380 may be more consistent. The RX 9070 XT sits at the 55th percentile versus the R9 M380's 58th percentile, indicating that the older card outperforms the newer one in the database's overall ranking, primarily due to the RX 9070 XT's poor Passmark legacy scores. Users targeting modern gaming and compute should choose the RX 9070 XT; users prioritizing legacy API stability should consider the R9 M380.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are separated by a decade of design philosophy. The R9 M380 uses the GCN 2.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, while the RX 9070 XT uses RDNA 4.0 on a 4 nm node. The transistor counts are starkly different: 2,080 million for the R9 M380 versus 53,900 million for the RX 9070 XT. Die size also scales, from 160 mm² to 357 mm². Transistor density jumps from 13.0M per mm² to 151.0M per mm², a massive increase in integration efficiency.

The shading unit count is 768 for the R9 M380 versus 4096 for the RX 9070 XT. Texture mapping units are 48 versus 256. Render output units are 16 versus 128. The RX 9070 XT adds 64 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the GCN 2.0 part. The RX 9070 XT also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the R9 M380 has no FP16 data recorded. The RX 9070 XT's FP32 throughput is 48.66 TFLOPS, compared to 1.536 TFLOPS for the R9 M380.

Memory subsystems differ fundamentally. The R9 M380 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 9070 XT uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 644.6 GB/s. Clock speeds are also far apart: the R9 M380 runs at a 900 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost, while the RX 9070 XT runs at 1660 MHz base, 2400 MHz game clock, and 2970 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective).

The RX 9070 XT supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the R9 M380 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The RX 9070 XT has a TDP of 304 W, requires a 700 W suggested PSU, uses dual-slot cooling and 2x 8-pin power connectors. The R9 M380 has no TDP, power connector, or slot width data recorded. The RX 9070 XT also has display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, while the R9 M380 has no display output data. The RX 9070 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M380 has an average benchmark score of 15521, which is higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT's 13543. This is a 14.6% advantage for the older card.

Q: Is the RX 9070 XT faster in the shared Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: Yes. The RX 9070 XT scores 17428 versus 12565 for the R9 M380, a 27.9% advantage in that specific test.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RX 9070 XT has 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth, versus 96.00 GB/s for the R9 M380. The RX 9070 XT also has 16 GB of memory versus 4 GB.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to each GPU in the database?

A: For the R9 M380, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with an average score of 15548, a 0.2% delta. For the RX 9070 XT, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7770M with 13536, a 0.1% delta.

Q: Does the RX 9070 XT support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 9070 XT has 64 ray tracing cores. The R9 M380 has no ray tracing cores.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 9070 XT has a transistor density of 151.0M per mm², versus 13.0M per mm² for the R9 M380.

Specification Differences

This section lists only the fields where the two GPUs differ.

• Architecture: GCN 2.0 (R9 M380) versus RDNA 4.0 (RX 9070 XT)
• Process Node: 28 nm versus 4 nm
• Transistors: 2,080 million versus 53,900 million
• Die Size: 160 mm² versus 357 mm²
• Transistor Density: 13.0M / mm² versus 151.0M / mm²
• Base Clock: 900 MHz versus 1660 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1000 MHz versus 2970 MHz
• Game Clock: null versus 2400 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1500 MHz, 6 Gbps effective versus 2518 MHz, 20.1 Gbps effective
• Memory Size: 4 GB versus 16 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR5 versus GDDR6
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit versus 256 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 96.00 GB/s versus 644.6 GB/s
• Shading Units: 768 versus 4096
• TMUs: 48 versus 256
• ROPs: 16 versus 128
• RT Cores: null versus 64
• Pixel Rate: 16.00 GPixel/s versus 380.2 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 48.00 GTexel/s versus 760.3 GTexel/s
• FP32: 1.536 TFLOPS versus 48.66 TFLOPS
• FP16: null versus 48.66 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: null versus 304 W
• Slot Width: null versus Dual-slot
• Power Connectors: null versus 2x 8-pin
• Suggested PSU: null versus 700 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16
• Display Outputs: null versus 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1a
• DirectX: 12 (12_0) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan: 1.2.170 versus 1.4
• Production Status: End-of-life versus Active
• Release Date: 2015-05-04 versus 2025-03-05
• Predecessor: Solar System versus Navi III
• Successor: Polaris Mobile versus null
• Launch MSRP: null versus 599 USD
• Percentile vs All GPUs: 58 versus 55
• Avg Benchmark Score: 15521 versus 13543

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the RX 9070 XT scoring 17428 against the R9 M380's 12565. This translates to a 27.9% delta in favor of the RX 9070 XT. This is a significant win for the newer part, reflecting its far higher shading unit count, clock speeds, and memory bandwidth.

The R9 M380's only wins in this comparison come from its average benchmark score. Its 15521 average is higher than the RX 9070 XT's 13543. The R9 M380's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, scores 15548, which is only 0.2% higher than the R9 M380. This places the R9 M380 in a performance tier similar to that 2017 flagship. The RX 9070 XT's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, scoring 13536, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 9070 XT. This is a surprising result, indicating that the RX 9070 XT's average is heavily influenced by its low scores in the Passmark legacy tests.

The RX 9070 XT's Passmark results are notably weak. Its DirectX 9 score is 353, DirectX 10 is 154, DirectX 11 is 292, and DirectX 12 is 78. These legacy API scores are far below what the architecture suggests. In contrast, the RX 9070 XT excels in modern compute and graphics APIs. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 65879, its Passmark G3D score is 26795, and its Passmark GPU Compute score is 15864. It also has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260. The R9 M380 has no Vulkan, 3DMark, or Passmark scores recorded, only the two Geekbench tests.

The data indicates a bifurcated performance profile. For any workload using Vulkan or modern compute frameworks, the RX 9070 XT is overwhelmingly faster. For legacy DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 applications, the recorded data shows the RX 9070 XT underperforming, which drags its average down. The R9 M380 lacks those legacy scores, so its average remains stable. The RX 9070 XT's 55th percentile versus the R9 M380's 58th percentile is a direct result. The RX 9070 XT's wins in the head-to-head column are 1, while the R9 M380 has 0 wins, confirming that the newer GPU is the superior performer in the only directly comparable test.