Tuesday, February 16th 2016

GIGABYTE Unveils Radeon R9 380X WindForce 2X Graphics Card

GIGABYTE started its Radeon R9 380X graphics card lineup with just one model, the R9 380X G1.Gaming (GV-R938XG1 GAMING-4GD). The company now launched its variant, which sticks to AMD reference clock speeds, the R9 380X WindForce 2X (GV-R938XWF2-4GD). Based on a custom-design PCB by GIGABYTE, the card features the company's WindForce 2X cooling solution, which features an aluminium fin-stack heatsink that uses three copper heat pipes to draw heat directly from the GPU die; dissipating it with a pair of 90 mm spinners. The cooler features 0 dBA idle, it completely shuts the fans off when the GPU is idling.

Based on the 28 nm "Antigua" silicon, the Radeon R9 380X features 2,048 stream processors, 128 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, holding 4 GB of memory. GIGABYTE's card sticks to AMD reference clock speeds of 970 MHz core, and 5.70 GHz (GDDR5-effective) memory. The card draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. Display outputs include two dual-link DVI, and one each of DisplayPort 1.2a and HDMI 1.4a connectors. The card will be priced at US $230.
Add your own comment

26 Comments on GIGABYTE Unveils Radeon R9 380X WindForce 2X Graphics Card

#1
RCoon
When will we stop seeing 7970's rereleased?
Posted on Reply
#3
hojnikb
RCoonWhen will we stop seeing 7970's rereleased?
Thats not a 7970 rebrand though. Thats full tonga.
Posted on Reply
#4
MagnuTron
RCoonWhen will we stop seeing 7970's rereleased?
As much as we can agree upon these cards being built upon a previous design > they are not the same chips dude.

Even the "new" Grenada chips differ from Hawaii in ability to perform at higher frequencies.
Posted on Reply
#5
RCoon
You can put a tuxedo on a goat, but it's still a goat.
Posted on Reply
#6
-The_Mask-
RCoonWhen will we stop seeing 7970's rereleased?
The only similarities between the HD7970 and R9 380X are the amount of stream processors, other than that they're totally different. HD7970 is a GCN1 card and the R9 380X is a GCN3 card.
Posted on Reply
#7
RCoon
-The_Mask-they're totally different
7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
Posted on Reply
#8
jigar2speed
RCoon7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
All Graphic cards are same for all intent and purpose... No ???
Posted on Reply
#9
hojnikb
RCoon7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
tonga also has improved tessalation engine and color delta compression.

Specs are the same, but they are far from the same card. Although they do perform similarly.
Posted on Reply
#10
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
hojnikbtonga also has improved tessalation engine and color delta compression.

Specs are the same, but they are far from the same card. Although they do perform similarly.
IE totally different cards but the same in every meaningful/measurable way.

The answer is "when they have something new", which they will whenever Polaris comes out. And even then it'll be kept around, doing odd-jobs.
Posted on Reply
#11
RejZoR
They are the same because they gimped its bus width. If it had the same bus width as 7970, it would be a lot better due to compression and better tessellation engine. It's a technological "marvel" that means little to the end user since they don't really benefit anything from it.
Posted on Reply
#12
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
RCoon7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
Literally two different chips:

Antigua/Tonga:


Tahiti:


Also two different architectures. Tahiti is first-gen GCN, Tonga/Antigua is third-gen GCN. What you're doing is like calling Haswell the same chip as Ivy Bridge, just because some specs look the same.
Posted on Reply
#13
Casecutter
When you can grab a 380X for $200 -AR who cares what it is. Soundly trounces the 960 for 1080p, while could permit using if you think of upgrading to 1440p latter. Is spending some where upwards of 40% more to have the next level worth the extra, just because it offers some improved 1440p if/when that day comes?

A while back (2015) my hypothesis was 1440p would be mainstream basically supplanting 1080p for many daily/casual gamers over the next two years. As of late I see so many new UltraHD monitors (TN) it has me considering 1440p is already tenuous, and in a year Ultra HD monitors will appear so often in the same price bracket that why pay for only a 1440p. At which point many of the cards in use today will become dated as the 28nm holding pattern has made them.
Posted on Reply
#14
xfia
4gb 380(X) crossfire with a 1440p freesync.. should be great for years and not a big deal to only start with one. i must say at first i didnt like they took away 3gb vram but 2gb and 4gb is growing on me for what its doing. get a 2gb if your fine with turning stuff down and not so worried about the future. its fine to have 4gb 960-380 sli/crossfire for 4k if you have the same mentality and fine with tweaking settings. the 4gb models will hold much more value in years to come.
Posted on Reply
#15
N3M3515
omg amd, four years of the same shit :(
This card should be like $140 tops

THIS
"They are the same because they gimped its bus width. If it had the same bus width as 7970, it would be a lot better due to compression and better tessellation engine. It's a technological "marvel" that means little to the end user since they don't really benefit anything from it."
Posted on Reply
#16
namae_nanka
RCoon7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
Tonga houses those SPs in four shader engines to Tahiti's two which effectively doubles the frontend and Tonga does much better with high level of tessellation and geometry processing. You can see the difference in layout of the chips here,

www.hardware.fr/news/13842/amd-devoile-gpu-milieu-gamme-tonga.html
Posted on Reply
#17
Casecutter
xfia4gb 380(X) crossfire with a 1440p freesync.. should be great for years and not a big deal to only start with one. i must say at first i didnt like they took away 3gb vram but 2gb and 4gb is growing on me for what its doing. get a 2gb if your fine with turning stuff down and not so worried about the future. its fine to have 4gb 960-380 sli/crossfire for 4k if you have the same mentality and fine with tweaking settings. the 4gb models will hold much more value in years to come.
Yea I'm thinking say a year out for someone transitioning off 1080p... and judiciously C-F is opportune especially in cost. It's not something that's been "top of mind" for me nowadays, but some things working DX12, Vulkan, new memory allocation, etc., and if RTG keeps working to have profiles quicker that could make it persuasive if working 1440p. Though if I saw myself settling into a Ultra HD a year from now I'd see the smart move as looking at what next gen hardware offers and sell off say a single card like the 380X.
Posted on Reply
#18
Primalz
jigar2speedThey will stop producing this card once it start beating GTX 970 its true competitor. :D:peace::D

EDIT: GTX 960 is already taken cared, next is GTX 970 - www.hardocp.com/article/2016/02/15/rise_tomb_raider_video_card_performance_review/4#.VsL1B_l97IU
380x vs 970 get of the drugs mate cmon

GTX960 vs 380X = 380x wins hands down, & the 380x is here in Australia $50 more then GTX960 & more ram...

Like btarunr said the chips are not the same, The 970 is a hell of a lot more $$$ here in AUS its $500 & 380X is $370 not a fair comparison as far as price vs perf goes.
Posted on Reply
#19
Ruru
S.T.A.R.S.
At least this haves the full 4GB of usable VRAM.. :)
Posted on Reply
#20
jigar2speed
axis007380x vs 970 get of the drugs mate cmon

GTX960 vs 380X = 380x wins hands down, & the 380x is here in Australia $50 more then GTX960 & more ram...

Like btarunr said the chips are not the same, The 970 is a hell of a lot more $$$ here in AUS its $500 & 380X is $370 not a fair comparison as far as price vs perf goes.
Time will tell my friend, HD7970 started its journey with GTX 680, fought with GTX 770 and now exchange punches with GTX 780, i am pretty sure this chip will end up beating GTX 970 one day.
Posted on Reply
#21
sweet
RCoon7970
SP: 2048
ROPs:32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

380X
SP 2048
ROPs: 32
TMU: 128
Silicon: 28nm

The only difference is the memory, being 256bit wide instead of the 7970's 384bit wide interface. The 380X's memory is clocked higher, thus has a higher "effective" speed, but a lower available bandwidth.

Obviously its a different architecture (hence the 50W TDP reduction), but for all intent and purpose, they're the same.
The difference between Tonga and Tahiti can be related to the difference between a Maxwell and Kepler card with the same CUDA count.
Posted on Reply
#22
Estaric
Ill actually be purchasing one of these in about a weeks time
Posted on Reply
#24
Primalz
@jigar2speed lol 780ti 1fps slower then 280X, yet faster then 380X & 280X faster then GTX970 :banghead: GTX 970 slays 280X in everything els but. Um whatever i don't even know anymore:roll:
Posted on Reply
#25
nedooo
RCoonWhen will we stop seeing 7970's rereleased?
Guess again this is 285 continued...
Posted on Reply
Add your own comment
Nov 14th, 2024 04:34 EST change timezone

New Forum Posts

Popular Reviews

Controversial News Posts