GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 390X
Performance-wise the GeForce GTX 980 is out front, dramatically faster, roughly 40% up on the Radeon R9 390X. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.
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GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 390X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 390X
The GeForce GTX 980 is dramatically faster, around 40% ahead of the Radeon R9 390X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the GeForce GTX 980 starts at $313 EUR against $364 EUR for the Radeon R9 390X. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 63%. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon R9 390X is trading below its $429 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 980 sips power at 165W next to the Radeon R9 390X's 275W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Radeon R9 390X's 8GB (vs 4GB on the GeForce GTX 980) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 980 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon R9 390X 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 980 or Radeon R9 390X?
The GeForce GTX 980 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon R9 390X if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the Radeon R9 390X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon R9 390X?
Is the Radeon R9 390X worth the extra $51 EUR over the GeForce GTX 980?
Does the Radeon R9 390X have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon R9 390X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,048 | 2,816✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz✓ | 1,050 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz✓ | 1,050 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 512-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 384 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 275 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Jun 2015 |