Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 590 is a massive performance leap — leading the Radeon R9 390 by roughly 40% in our performance index. The Radeon R9 390, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $40 USD cheaper.
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Radeon RX 590 vs Radeon R9 390: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 590 vs Radeon R9 390
The Radeon RX 590 is dramatically faster, around 40% ahead of the Radeon R9 390. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
On price, expect to pay $80 USD for the Radeon R9 390 versus $120 USD for the Radeon RX 590. Despite being slower, the Radeon R9 390 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~7% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon R9 390 is trading below its $329 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 590 is trading below its $279 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 590 draws just 225W versus 275W for the Radeon R9 390, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom. Its more modern GCN 4.0 (Polaris) architecture on a GloFo 12nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Memory & Bandwidth
The Radeon R9 390'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 590 is roughly 3 years newer than the Radeon R9 390 (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 390 or Radeon RX 590?
Choose the Radeon RX 590 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon R9 390 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 590 better than the Radeon R9 390?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon R9 390 or the Radeon RX 590?
Is the Radeon RX 590 worth the extra $40 USD over the Radeon R9 390?
Which should you buy: Radeon R9 390 or Radeon RX 590?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon R9 390 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,560✓ | 2,304 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon R9 390 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,000 MHz | 1,469 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,000 MHz | 1,545 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon R9 390 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 390 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 275 W | 225 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Nov 2018 |