Msi r9 380 gaming review

Not everything was going to be top of the range, in fact the manufacturers of GPUs get most of their income with the graphics between 50 and 250 €. This is one of the GPUs called to the top of that niche, the R9 380, with models mounting 2 or 4GB of RAM, high-end heatsink with hybrid fan control, and a slight overclock in front GPU and RAM. To the reference model, this graph adds a very good option to the MSI gaming line.

But is that enough to earn our recommendation? Let's see it.

We thank the MSI team for lending us this graphics card for analysis:

Technical characteristics

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS MSI R9 380 GAMING
GPU	R9 380 (Old PRO)
Connectors	2 x PCIE 6-pin
Core frequency	1000 MHz (OC Mode) 980 MHz (Gaming Mode) 970 MHz (Silent Mode)
Memory type	GDDR5
Memory size	2048 (version 4096 also available)
Memory speed (mhz)	5800 (OC Mode) / 5700
DirectX	version 12
BUS memory	256 bits
BUS card	PCI-E 3.0 x16.
CUDA	Yes.
I / O	2 x DVI (Dual-link DVI-I x 1, Dual-link DVI-D x 1), Max Resolution: 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz. 1 x HDMI (version 1.4a) Max Resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 24Hz (1.4a) 1 x Displayport (version 1.2) Max Resolution: 4096 × 2160 @ 60Hz
Dimensions	268 x 138 x 40mm
Warranty	2 years.

MSI R9 380 GAMING 2G

The box is identical to the one we could already see on the 980Ti, identical colors, distribution… only the name of the graphic changes, as is evident. Again black and white as main colors with red accents.

Again a familiar design on the back. It stands out as we advanced a fan with hybrid control that is for when the graphics is not working hard. Again, we have LEDs on the MSI logo, configurable.

In the case of accessories, the differences begin, it is noticeable that we are in a somewhat more modest range. A DVI to VGA adapter is included, CD with "emergency" drivers until we can download the most updated, quick guide and not much more.

The design again repeats the outline of the entire series, in red and black as we saw in the 980 and 980Ti. Aggressive lines, beautiful and quite effective in cooling our GPU with minimal noise.

A very surprising detail is that, even in a graphic of € 230, they have not forgotten the backplate, so we won in cooling for the almost always forgotten components of the PCB, in rigidity and why not say it, in aesthetics, again with the silk-screened MSI dragon.

In this case we repeat with 3 frequency settings:

1000 MHz (OC Mode) + 5800 mhz RAM (effective) 980 MHz (Gaming Mode) 970 MHz (Silent Mode)

Just as I liked the inclusion of these profiles in the 980Ti, in this case I see at least one of them totally superfluous. The OC mode seems to me to be justifiable to a certain extent, due to the small push to the GPU and RAM to scratch a few points in the benchmarks, but… dedicate a profile to only raise the GPU clock by 10mhz? Hardly going to notice that on its own, I would say that we could do without Gaming Mode entirely.

The rest of its features are expected for any 380, with 2 GB of GDDR5 RAM in the analyzed model (there is another 4GB about € 30 more expensive), 256-bit memory bus, a memory speed of 5800 Mhz (effective), Crossfirex support without bridge and 190W TDP.

In yet another memory of the highest-end graphics in the series we see a heatsink with aluminum heatpipes and aluminum fins, and two fans on the set. In this case, the absence of aluminum in the heatsink is much more justifiable due to the cost and range of the product, although it would certainly have been a pleasant surprise.

In this case, unlike nVidia that had already presented models with fans that stop completely, it is the first AMD GPU that we analyzed with this feature. It is surprising to see that the AMD itself did not take advantage of the consumption improvements introduced in its Antigua PRO GPUs to do this previously, although with the reference blower heatsink, the passive dissipation would probably not be sufficient as with one of moderate size like the one mounted by MSI. We repeat with the name Zero Frozr for the hybrid control, which completely stops the fan while the graphic is not loaded or has very little, for example on the desktop or playing a movie, and starts it when necessary.

The graphics is very silent, we will see it start in most games, but at a very low RPM level, which will only rise to audible levels in the case of demanding benchmarks and games.

The power is provided by two 6-pin pciexpress connectors, guaranteeing us a stable and sufficient power for the consumption of this GPU

It is curious how in such an important detail as the connections this graph shows a distribution that, in my opinion, many users will see less advanced but at the same time more convenient than the one present in the Fury X. We have a Displayport 1.2 connector, an HDMI 1.4 a, a DVI-D and a DVI-I with the possibility of connecting to VGA through an adapter. A pity that it doesn't include a second displayport, it would have passed this section with a mark.

Test bench and performance tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i7 [email protected]
Base plate:	Asus Rampage V Extreme
Memory:	DDR4 Ripjaws4 4x4gb 2666MT / S CL15
Heatsink	RL Custom, EK Supremacy EVO
HDD	Samsung 850 EVO 1Tb
Graphic card	MSI R9 380 Gaming 2G
Power supply	Antec High Current Pro 850W

We will use the 3 typical game benchmarks to evaluate the performance of this graph. We note that all the contestants are graphics that pass (or passed) the € 600 launch, so we should not see a last place as a result in any case bad. We will limit ourselves to testing the GPU with the overclock adjustment that it brings from the factory, quite restrained in GPU and in memory, but enough to raise a few FPS.

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Performance in 3DMark is very respectable, with 7851 points approaching 75% of what a 780Ti gets. The slight improvements in frequency also allow you to slightly improve the results of the R9 285 in this same test.

In Metro: Last Light the graphic chokes slightly, with an average of just over 30fps that leaves it in a better place than the rest, with just over half the performance of the 780Ti. An engine not too favorable for the new AMD, we must lower the filters and the tessellation to have the 60fps, although we must say that in this situation the graphics defends itself quite well, even with the quality of textures at the highest point.

In this case, we have a round of good news to face the result of Metro, with average FPS exceeding 60fps and minimums that do not drop below 50, all with TressFX activated at the highest level. Simply lowering the AF we have stable 60fps and a perfectly smooth 1080p experience.

Final words and conclusion

The results of this graph are as expected, bearing in mind that the Old GPU is simply a rebranding of the well-known Tonga, which in its day was already a bit of a continuity.

The results are not bad at all, with a graphic that can move all games to 1080p with solvency, lowering some adjustment in the most demanding, although in view of our benchmarks there is not too much power, so even if we opt for the 4GB model we will need a little more if we want to play 1440p.

However, for € 230 little more can be asked for, it is a somewhat higher graphic than its main rival, the gtx960, in exchange for a much higher consumption. The 256bit bus is a loss from the 280X, against which it also loses shaders, but gains in frequencies to match the equation.

The problem is that we have already had two generations of graphics that are very similar to each other, and of reissues with another name. There will be very few users who, in the price range of this GPU, have not already chosen to buy a 7900 / R9 280 previously. For those who do not, it is a very interesting graph.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ ENOUGH PERFORMANCE FOR 1080P AT A PRETTY PRICE	- WARRANTY SEAL THAT PREVENTS WE CAN CHANGE THE THERMAL PASTE OR INSTALL A BLOCK WITHOUT LOSING IT
+ ZERO FROZR TECHNOLOGY, FANS STOP WHEN THE GPU HAS NO CHARGE	- ANOTHER CHIP THAT IS STILL A NEW NAME FOR A PREVIOUS GRAPH
+ VERY STRONG DESIGN, WITH BACKPLATE AND CONFIGURABLE LED
+ VERY SILENT EVEN LOADING