GTX 960 vs R9 380

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PsyMon93

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Hi all,

I would like to buy a new graphics card but I am having trouble choosing between the NVidia GTX 960 and the AMD R9 380 (both 4GB).

I initially decided on the R9 380 because it is a newer card and from what I could glean from the internet, it performs better than the 960. But then a friend who is quite knowledgeable about hardware recommended that I rather get the 960 because NVidia's drivers are better and it runs cooler.

So I am actually leaning towards the 960. My thinking is that it can overclock better than the R9 380 which could make up for the difference in performance.

Any techies out there who can help?
 
Pianoman said:
Hi all,

I would like to buy a new graphics card but I am having trouble choosing between the NVidia GTX 960 and the AMD R9 380 (both 4GB).

I initially decided on the R9 380 because it is a newer card and from what I could glean from the internet, it performs better than the 960. But then a friend who is quite knowledgeable about hardware recommended that I rather get the 960 because NVidia's drivers are better and it runs cooler.

So I am actually leaning towards the 960. My thinking is that it can overclock better than the R9 380 which could make up for the difference in performance.

Any techies out there who can help?
Click to expand...

Fan boys will be fan boys :p

I'll concede that in Witcher 3 as an example Nvidia had the hair works thingy that didn't work on the AMD card. However that was later resolved by the AMD community. It's all about preference I suppose. Yes the cards run slightly hotter but so what? Get the card you want spec wise. Don't be lured into the Fan boys conversations as they will all have good arguments for and against both cards.
 
Pianoman said:
Hi all,

I would like to buy a new graphics card but I am having trouble choosing between the NVidia GTX 960 and the AMD R9 380 (both 4GB).

I initially decided on the R9 380 because it is a newer card and from what I could glean from the internet, it performs better than the 960. But then a friend who is quite knowledgeable about hardware recommended that I rather get the 960 because NVidia's drivers are better and it runs cooler.

So I am actually leaning towards the 960. My thinking is that it can overclock better than the R9 380 which could make up for the difference in performance.

Any techies out there who can help?
Click to expand...

Most "friends" that talk like that heard something 10 years ago and haven't changed their opinion since.

The 380 is objectively better than the 960, not just in FPS, but it's got the best DX12 support of any card out now, equal to the Fury cards.

Then there's this:
http://wccftech.com/amd-r9-fury-x-performance-ahead-nvidia-980-ti-latest-drivers/

So yeah, sounds like your "friend", is a fanboy.
 
For pure performance the 380 wins. I haven't bothered oveclocking anything in years, the potential hassles are just not worth it imo.
 
I have the R9 380. Been an AMD fanboy for years.
The only problem that I have with this card is that it gets hot with GTA V. Only with GTA V.

Other than that, great card.
 
I bought a 960 2 weeks ago mainly because they run cooler and it uses less power, so I didn't have to upgrade my PSU. If you have a capable PSU you can just as well go for the best performance.
 
Ye I am not sure I trust his neutrality in this regard :D

I'm not even sure the 380 has such high temps really, although it's hard to say because different benchmark tests tend to show varying results with temperature. Maybe if I find the make with the best cooler. The 380 is a bit cheaper too, and the prices are already so high due to the state of the rand.

But honestly, I'm not an enthusiast, I'm actually a bit nervous to OC. Maybe a few years down the line I will OC a bit to squeeze some extra power out of it.
 
Last edited:
Pianoman said:
But honestly, I'm not an enthusiast, I'm actually a bit nervous to OC. Maybe a few years down the line I will OC a bit to squeeze some extra power out of it.
Click to expand...

It's as simple as moving a few sliders in msi afterburner.

The 380 is more powerful, think the sapphire ones have really good coolers but not sure how much they cost.
 
Chevron said:
Most "friends" that talk like that heard something 10 years ago and haven't changed their opinion since.

The 380 is objectively better than the 960, not just in FPS, but it's got the best DX12 support of any card out now, equal to the Fury cards.

Then there's this:
http://wccftech.com/amd-r9-fury-x-performance-ahead-nvidia-980-ti-latest-drivers/

So yeah, sounds like your "friend", is a fanboy.
Click to expand...

But you are an AMD fanboy, so don't think you can be fully objective. Article is good though.
 
F1 Fan said:
But you are an AMD fanboy, so don't think you can be fully objective. Article is good though.
Click to expand...

Yes, because basing buying decisions on facts and reviews makes someone a fanboy :erm:
 
Was going to ask you if you could stretch your budget to 5k. Takealot had one today for 5k, excellent card.
 
Bought a 960 due to the lower power consumption and because it works better better with older generation CPU's.
 
I'm guessing this is purely for gaming.
If I had to spend that dosh on a card (and I don't game), it would be the 960, because H.265.
But then I'd rather get 'n Skylake processor first.

As you were...
 
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