AMD Radeon R9 M380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

AMD Radeon R9 M380 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN are two end-of-life graphics cards from different eras and market segments, and the benchmark data shows they trade blows depending on the workload. The R9 M380 wins the Geekbench Metal test decisively, while the GTX TITAN dominates in Geekbench OpenCL, making the choice between them heavily dependent on which API your applications favor. The data indicates a clear split: the AMD mobile part excels in Metal-centric tasks, while the older NVIDIA flagship retains a massive raw compute advantage in OpenCL scenarios.

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 8.0% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN’s average score of 14373.

Q: How big is the performance gap in the Geekbench Metal test?

A: The R9 M380 scores 18476 in Metal, which is 124.8% higher than the GTX TITAN’s 8218. This is a massive, decisive win for the AMD card.

Q: Does the GTX TITAN win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the GTX TITAN wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 24873, beating the R9 M380’s 12565 by 49.5%.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between these two chips?

A: The GTX TITAN’s GK110 chip contains 7,080 million transistors, while the R9 M380’s Strato chip has 2,080 million transistors. The NVIDIA chip has over three times as many transistors.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX TITAN has a 384-bit memory bus delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the R9 M380’s 128-bit bus and 96.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card offers roughly three times the bandwidth.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: The R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial, reflecting their different release dates and design goals. The AMD Radeon R9 M380 is built on the GCN 2.0 architecture, using the Strato chip manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN uses the Kepler architecture with the GK110 chip, also on a 28 nm TSMC process. While both use the same process node, the physical scale differs enormously: the GK110 die measures 561 mm² and packs 7,080 million transistors, whereas the Strato die is just 160 mm² with 2,080 million transistors. This gives the GTX TITAN a much larger transistor budget, though the transistor density is similar — 12.6M / mm² for NVIDIA versus 13.0M / mm² for AMD.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The GTX TITAN features 2688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, while the R9 M380 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This 3.5x difference in shader count explains the GTX TITAN’s theoretical peak FP32 throughput of 4.709 TFLOPS versus the R9 M380’s 1.536 TFLOPS. Memory architecture also differs fundamentally: the GTX TITAN uses a 384-bit bus with 6 GB of GDDR5, while the R9 M380 uses a 128-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR5. Neither card has dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, as both predate those features. The GTX TITAN’s DirectX 12 support is limited to level 11_0, while the R9 M380 reaches 12_0, indicating the AMD part is more forward-compatible with modern APIs despite being newer.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a perfect split: one win each, with the margins being stark in both directions. In the Geekbench Metal test, the AMD Radeon R9 M380 scores 18476 against the GTX TITAN’s 8218, resulting in a 124.8% advantage for the AMD card. This is not a close contest — the R9 M380 more than doubles the NVIDIA card’s Metal performance. The explanation likely lies in the R9 M380 being a much newer design (released in 2015 versus 2013) with better driver optimization for Apple’s Metal API, which was introduced after the GTX TITAN’s launch.

The Geekbench OpenCL test flips the script entirely. The GTX TITAN scores 24873, while the R9 M380 manages only 12565, giving NVIDIA a 49.5% win. This result aligns with the raw compute specifications: the GTX TITAN’s 2688 shading units and 4.709 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are far superior to the R9 M380’s 768 units and 1.536 TFLOPS. OpenCL workloads tend to scale with raw shader count and memory bandwidth, both of which favor the GTX TITAN heavily. The R9 M380’s 96.00 GB/s bandwidth is a bottleneck compared to the GTX TITAN’s 288.4 GB/s, which becomes apparent in bandwidth-sensitive OpenCL tasks.

When looking at the average benchmark score, the R9 M380 edges ahead with 15521 versus 14373, a 8.0% difference. This average is skewed by the R9 M380’s massive Metal win, which compensates for its OpenCL deficit. Notably, the R9 M380 also has a higher percentile rank among all GPUs (58th) compared to the GTX TITAN (56th), though both are mid-pack performers. The nearest rivals for each card further contextualize their standing: the R9 M380 sits within 1.6% of cards like the GTX 1080 Ti (15548) and RTX 2060 (15290), while the GTX TITAN is within 0.4% of integrated solutions like the RX Vega 11 (14385) and Iris Xe MAX (14315).

Specification Differences

The specification sheet reveals two GPUs designed for entirely different purposes. The R9 M380 is a mobile-oriented chip (from the Gem System R9 M300 generation) with a 28 nm process, while the GTX TITAN is a desktop flagship from the GeForce 700 generation. Clock speeds differ modestly: the R9 M380 runs at 900 MHz base and 1000 MHz boost, while the GTX TITAN runs at 836 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. The AMD card has higher clocks but far fewer cores, resulting in lower absolute throughput.

Memory specifications favor the GTX TITAN in every measurable way: 6 GB versus 4 GB capacity, 384-bit versus 128-bit bus width, and 288.4 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. Both use GDDR5 with effectively 6 Gbps memory speed. The GTX TITAN’s power draw is listed at 250 W, requiring a 600 W suggested PSU and dual-slot cooling, while the R9 M380 has no TDP listed, suggesting it is a lower-power mobile part. Physical dimensions also differ, with the GTX TITAN measuring 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 38 mm in width — the R9 M380 has no listed dimensions, consistent with its mobile design.

The GTX TITAN offers display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2), while the R9 M380 has none listed. API support shows the R9 M380 with DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, versus the GTX TITAN’s DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The release dates are separated by over two years: the GTX TITAN launched on February 18, 2013, with a launch MSRP of 999 USD, while the R9 M380 launched on May 4, 2015, with no MSRP listed. The transistor density is nearly identical (13.0M vs 12.6M per mm²), but the die size difference (160 vs 561 mm²) is the root of all performance differences.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R9 M380 is the clear winner in Metal-based workloads. Its 124.8% advantage over the GTX TITAN in Geekbench Metal makes it the obvious choice for applications that leverage Apple’s Metal API, such as macOS-specific creative tools or games. The R9 M380 also has a higher average benchmark score overall (15521 vs 14373) and a better percentile rank (58th vs 56th), indicating it is more competitive in modern mixed-workload scenarios. Its newer architecture with DirectX 12 (12_0) support also makes it more future-proof for games that require the latest API features.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN wins decisively in OpenCL compute. Its 49.5% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL reflects its massive shader count and memory bandwidth, which are critical for general-purpose GPU computing tasks like rendering, scientific simulations, or machine learning inference that rely on OpenCL. The GTX TITAN’s 6 GB frame buffer also gives it an edge in memory-heavy workloads, though its older Kepler architecture lacks modern features. For users running OpenCL-heavy applications on desktop Linux or Windows systems, the GTX TITAN is the better tool despite its lower average score.

In terms of raw specifications, the GTX TITAN wins on every compute metric except clock speed and transistor density. It has more than triple the shading units (2688 vs 768), triple the texture units (224 vs 48), and triple the ROPs (48 vs 16). Its FP32 throughput of 4.709 TFLOPS is over three times the R9 M380’s 1.536 TFLOPS. The R9 M380 only wins on API support level for DirectX and its higher boost clock (1000 MHz vs 876 MHz). The R9 M380’s advantage in Metal is likely due to software optimization rather than hardware superiority, as its compute resources are far smaller.

The Verdict

The data supports a split decision based on your target API and use case. Choose the AMD Radeon R9 M380 if your primary workloads run through Metal — the 124.8% lead in Geekbench Metal is overwhelming and cannot be ignored. Its higher average score (15521 vs 14373) and better percentile rank (58 vs 56) also suggest it is the more balanced card for general use, especially in newer applications that support DirectX 12 (12_0). The R9 M380 is also the only viable option for mobile or space-constrained systems, given its lack of listed TDP or physical dimensions.

Choose the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN if OpenCL compute performance is your priority. The 49.5% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL translates directly to faster execution in compute-heavy tasks. Its 6 GB memory and 288.4 GB/s bandwidth are also superior for large datasets, and the 250 W TDP with dual-slot cooling indicates a desktop-only part designed for sustained load. The GTX TITAN’s lower average score is misleading because it is dragged down by its poor Metal showing, which is irrelevant for OpenCL-only workflows. For raw compute density, the GTX TITAN’s 4.709 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is the highest number in this comparison, and its 7,080 million transistors provide the hardware headroom that the R9 M380 simply lacks. Ultimately, the R9 M380 is the better all-rounder today, but the GTX TITAN remains the compute powerhouse for OpenCL-centric users.