GPU Comparison

Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.

Market Value Leader

Only verified data for Radeon RX 550 is available. Benchmarks for other models are currently being processed.

Quick Verdict

The Radeon R9 390 is dramatically faster than the Radeon RX 550, leading by roughly 400% in our performance index.

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

AMD

Radeon R9 390

Price

Awaiting Data

Performance

5/100✓

VRAM

8 GB GDDR5✓

Key Specs Advantage

+300% Stream Processors (2,560 vs 640)

+300% Bandwidth (384 GB/s vs 96 GB/s)

+300% Memory Bus (512-bit vs 128-bit)

Awaiting Data

AMD

Radeon RX 550

Price

R$531✓

Performance

1/100

VRAM

2 GB GDDR5

Key Specs Advantage

+18% Boost Clock (1,183 MHz vs 1,000 MHz)

R$531ASRock Placa de vídeo Phantom Gaming Radeon RX 550 DirectX 12 RX550 2G 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready

Used - No Listing

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Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 550: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 550

The Radeon R9 390 is dramatically faster, around 400% ahead of the Radeon RX 550. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon R9 390 packs 2,560 stream processors versus 640 on the Radeon RX 550.

Power & Efficiency

The Radeon RX 550 draws just 50W versus 275W for the Radeon R9 390, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern GCN 4.0 (Polaris) architecture on a GloFo 14nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

With 8GB against 2GB, the Radeon R9 390 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon RX 550's 2GB can fall short. The Radeon R9 390's memory is also faster — 384 GB/s versus 96 GB/s (512-bit vs 128-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.

Generation & Longevity

The Radeon RX 550 is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon R9 390 (GCN 4.0 (Polaris) vs GCN 2.0), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.

Which should you buy: Radeon R9 390 or Radeon RX 550?

The Radeon R9 390 is the faster card by about 400%. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon R9 390 better than the Radeon RX 550?

The Radeon R9 390 is dramatically faster, roughly 400% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 390 or the Radeon RX 550?

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.

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

Its 8GB (vs 2GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Specification	Radeon R9 390	Radeon RX 550
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Process Node	TSMC 28nm	GloFo 14nm
CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors)	2,560✓	640

Clock Speeds

Specification	Radeon R9 390	Radeon RX 550
Base Clock	1,000 MHz	1,019 MHz✓
Boost Clock	1,000 MHz	1,183 MHz✓

Memory

Specification	Radeon R9 390	Radeon RX 550
VRAM Capacity	8 GB✓	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bus	512-bit✓	128-bit
Memory Speed	6 Gbps	6 Gbps
Bandwidth	384 GB/s✓	96 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

Specification	Radeon R9 390	Radeon RX 550
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x8
TDP	275 W	50 W✓
Power Connectors	1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin	None
Released	Jun 2015	Apr 2017