GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 390X
Neither the GeForce GTX TITAN Z nor the Radeon R9 390X pulls ahead in performance; treat them as equals on speed. The Radeon R9 390X, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $170 USD cheaper.
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GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 390X: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 390X
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 390X post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to entry-level 1080p gaming.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $429 USD for the Radeon R9 390X versus $599 USD for the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 390X offers the better performance-per-dollar (~40% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is trading below its $2,999 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon R9 390X draws just 275W versus 375W for the GeForce GTX TITAN Z, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern GCN 2.0 architecture on a TSMC 28nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 12GB against 8GB, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon R9 390X's 8GB can fall short.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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 TITAN Z or Radeon R9 390X?
Choose the GeForce GTX TITAN Z 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 near-identical performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX TITAN Z better than the Radeon R9 390X?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z or the Radeon R9 390X?
Is the GeForce GTX TITAN Z worth the extra $170 USD over the Radeon R9 390X?
Does the GeForce GTX TITAN Z have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX TITAN Z or Radeon R9 390X?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,880✓ | 2,816 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 705 MHz | 1,050 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 876 MHz | 1,050 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB✓ | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit | 512-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps✓ | 6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 336 GB/s | 384 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 375 W | 275 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Released | May 2014 | Jun 2015 |