GPU Comparison

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

Quick Verdict

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is dramatically faster than the Radeon R9 390X, leading by roughly 240% in our performance index. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.

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VS
NVIDIA
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Price
$210 USD
Performance
17%
VRAM
11 GB GDDR5X
Key Specs Advantage
+51% Boost Clock (1,582 MHz vs 1,050 MHz)
+27% CUDA Cores (3,584 vs 2,816)
+26% Bandwidth (484 GB/s vs 384 GB/s)
Price
$429 USD
Performance
5%
VRAM
8 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+45% Memory Bus (512-bit vs 352-bit)

GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs Radeon R9 390X: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs Radeon R9 390X

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is dramatically faster, around 240% ahead of the Radeon R9 390X. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is comfortable at 1080p, while the Radeon R9 390X is better matched to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

Right now the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti starts at $210 USD against $429 USD for the Radeon R9 390X. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti wins on performance-per-dollar by about 595%. The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is trading below its $699 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

The GeForce GTX 1080 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. Its more modern Pascal architecture on a TSMC 16nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

With 11GB against 8GB, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon R9 390X's 8GB can fall short.

Generation & Longevity

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is roughly 2 years newer than the Radeon R9 390X (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 GTX 1080 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 1080 Ti or Radeon R9 390X?

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 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 1080 Ti better than the Radeon R9 390X?

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is dramatically faster, roughly 240% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or the Radeon R9 390X?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the Radeon R9 390X worth the extra $219 USD over the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti comes out ahead.

Does the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 11GB (vs 8GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

SpecificationGeForce GTX 1080 TiRadeon R9 390X
ArchitecturePascalGCN 2.0
Process NodeTSMC 16nmTSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)3,5842,816

Clock Speeds

SpecificationGeForce GTX 1080 TiRadeon R9 390X
Base Clock1,480 MHz1,050 MHz
Boost Clock1,582 MHz1,050 MHz

Memory

SpecificationGeForce GTX 1080 TiRadeon R9 390X
VRAM Capacity11 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5XGDDR5
Memory Bus352-bit512-bit
Memory Speed11 Gbps6 Gbps
Bandwidth484 GB/s384 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationGeForce GTX 1080 TiRadeon R9 390X
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP250 W275 W
Power Connectors1x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
ReleasedMar 2017Jun 2015