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GeForce GTX 1050 Ti vs Radeon R9 390

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the Radeon R9 390 comes out significantly faster — about 25% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. But the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the better value, undercutting it by $212 EUR for the performance you get.

Market Value Leader

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the clear winner, offering 87.6% better value than Radeon R9 390.

Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)

VS
NVIDIA
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Price
€157✓
Performance
4/100
VRAM
4 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+39% Boost Clock (1,392 MHz vs 1,000 MHz)
€157MAXSUN Geforce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5 128-Bit Graphics Card for Gaming GPU Mini ITX Design DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI-D, Single Fan Cooling System
Used - No Listing
AMD
Radeon R9 390
Price
€369
Performance
5/100✓
VRAM
8 GB GDDR5✓
Key Specs Advantage
+300% Memory Bus (512-bit vs 128-bit)
+243% Bandwidth (384 GB/s vs 112 GB/s)
+233% Stream Processors (2,560 vs 768)
€369Asus Strix-R9390-DC3OC-8GD5-Gaming 8GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
Used - No Listing
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Radeon R9 390 vs GeForce GTX 1050 Ti: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: Radeon R9 390 vs GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

The Radeon R9 390 is significantly faster, around 25% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti currently lists from $157 EUR, $212 EUR less than the Radeon R9 390 at $369 EUR. Despite being slower, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti offers the better performance-per-dollar (~88% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully.

Power & Efficiency

At 75W against 275W, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern Pascal architecture on a Samsung 14nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The Radeon R9 390 carries 8GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The extra 4GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 390 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon R9 390?

Choose the Radeon R9 390 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon R9 390 better than the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti?

The Radeon R9 390 is significantly faster, roughly 25% ahead. The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or the Radeon R9 390?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the Radeon R9 390 worth the extra $212 EUR over the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti comes out ahead.

Does the Radeon R9 390 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Radeon R9 390?

Choose the Radeon R9 390 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon R9 390
SpecificationGeForce GTX 1050 TiRadeon R9 390
ArchitecturePascalGCN 2.0
Process NodeSamsung 14nmTSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)7682,560✓

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon R9 390
SpecificationGeForce GTX 1050 TiRadeon R9 390
Base Clock1,290 MHz✓1,000 MHz
Boost Clock1,392 MHz✓1,000 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon R9 390
SpecificationGeForce GTX 1050 TiRadeon R9 390
VRAM Capacity4 GB8 GB✓
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus128-bit512-bit✓
Memory Speed7 Gbps✓6 Gbps
Bandwidth112 GB/s384 GB/s✓

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and Radeon R9 390
SpecificationGeForce GTX 1050 TiRadeon R9 390
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP75 W✓275 W
Power ConnectorsNone1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
ReleasedOct 2016Jun 2015