GPU Comparison

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

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the Radeon R9 390 comes out dramatically faster — about 400% ahead of the GeForce GT 1030. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.

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

VS
Price
€81
Performance
1%
VRAM
2 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+47% Boost Clock (1,468 MHz vs 1,000 MHz)
AMD
Radeon R9 390
Price
€36
Performance
5%
VRAM
8 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+700% Bandwidth (384 GB/s vs 48 GB/s)
+700% Memory Bus (512-bit vs 64-bit)
+567% Stream Processors (2,560 vs 384)

Radeon R9 390 vs GeForce GT 1030: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: Radeon R9 390 vs GeForce GT 1030

The Radeon R9 390 is dramatically faster, around 400% ahead of the GeForce GT 1030. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

The Radeon R9 390 currently lists from $36 EUR, $45 EUR less than the GeForce GT 1030 at $81 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon R9 390 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 1024%. The Radeon R9 390 is trading below its $329 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

At 30W against 275W, the GeForce GT 1030 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 2GB on the GeForce GT 1030. The extra 6GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.

Generation & Longevity

The GeForce GT 1030 is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon R9 390 (Pascal vs GCN 2.0), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GT 1030 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 GT 1030 or Radeon R9 390?

The Radeon R9 390 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce GT 1030 if you find it at a steep discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon R9 390 better than the GeForce GT 1030?

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 GeForce GT 1030 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 GeForce GT 1030 worth the extra $45 EUR over the Radeon R9 390?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the Radeon R9 390 comes out ahead.

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

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon R9 390
ArchitecturePascalGCN 2.0
Process NodeSamsung 14nmTSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)3842,560

Clock Speeds

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon R9 390
Base Clock1,227 MHz1,000 MHz
Boost Clock1,468 MHz1,000 MHz

Memory

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon R9 390
VRAM Capacity2 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus64-bit512-bit
Memory Speed6 Gbps6 Gbps
Bandwidth48 GB/s384 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon R9 390
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP30 W275 W
Power ConnectorsNone1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
ReleasedMay 2017Jun 2015