GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 390X
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster than the Radeon R9 390X, leading by roughly 100% in our performance index. The Radeon R9 390X, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $695 EUR cheaper.
Market Value Leader
Radeon R9 390X is the clear winner, offering 288.4% better value than GeForce GTX 980 Ti.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 390X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon R9 390X
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster, around 100% 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 Radeon R9 390X starts at $103 EUR against $798 EUR for the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 390X offers the better performance-per-dollar (~288% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 390X is trading below its $429 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti still sits about $149 EUR above its $649 EUR MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws just 250W versus 275W for the Radeon R9 390X, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 8GB against 6GB, the Radeon R9 390X has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the GeForce GTX 980 Ti's 6GB can fall short.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti 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 Ti or Radeon R9 390X?
Choose the GeForce GTX 980 Ti if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 390X stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than the Radeon R9 390X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti or the Radeon R9 390X?
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti worth the extra $695 EUR over the Radeon R9 390X?
Does the Radeon R9 390X have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 Ti or Radeon R9 390X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,816 | 2,816 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,000 MHz | 1,050 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,075 MHz✓ | 1,050 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit | 512-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 336.5 GB/s | 384 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 250 W✓ | 275 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Jun 2015 |