Radeon R9 390X vs Radeon RX 580
On raw speed the Radeon RX 580 comes out significantly faster — about 20% ahead of the Radeon R9 390X. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
Market Value Leader
Radeon RX 580 is the clear winner, offering 14.2% better value than Radeon R9 390X.
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Radeon RX 580 vs Radeon R9 390X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 580 vs Radeon R9 390X
The Radeon RX 580 is significantly faster, around 20% ahead of the Radeon R9 390X. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
The Radeon R9 390X currently lists from $103 EUR, $5 EUR less than the Radeon RX 580 at $108 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 580 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 14%. The Radeon R9 390X is trading below its $429 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 580 is trading below its $229 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
At 185W against 275W, the Radeon RX 580 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern GCN 4.0 (Polaris) architecture on a GloFo 14nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Memory & Bandwidth
The Radeon R9 390X's memory is faster — 384 GB/s versus 256 GB/s (512-bit vs 256-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 580 is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon R9 390X (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 390X or Radeon RX 580?
The Radeon RX 580 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 Radeon RX 580 better than the Radeon R9 390X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 390X or the Radeon RX 580?
Is the Radeon RX 580 worth the extra $5 EUR over the Radeon R9 390X?
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 390X or Radeon RX 580?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon R9 390X | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,816✓ | 2,304 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 390X | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,050 MHz | 1,257 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,050 MHz | 1,340 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 390X | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 512-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 6 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 384 GB/s✓ | 256 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon R9 390X | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 275 W | 185 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Apr 2017 |
