GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon R9 390X
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon R9 390X and GeForce GTX 980, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
GTX 980 outperforms R9 390X by a moderate 18% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 231 | 199 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 9.75 | 10.62 |
| Power efficiency | 6.13 | 12.06 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) | Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) |
| GPU code name | Grenada | GM204 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Design | reference | no data |
| Release date | 18 June 2015 (9 years ago) | 19 September 2014 (10 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $429 | $549 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
GTX 980 has 9% better value for money than R9 390X.
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 2816 | 2048 |
| Core clock speed | no data | 1064 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1050 MHz | 1216 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 6,200 million | 5,200 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 275 Watt | 165 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 184.8 | 155.6 |
| Floating-point processing power | 5.914 TFLOPS | 4.981 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
| TMUs | 176 | 128 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Bus support | PCIe 3.0 | PCI Express 3.0 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Length | 275 mm | 267 mm |
| Height | no data | 4.376" (11.1 cm) |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Recommended system power (PSU) | no data | 500 Watt |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1 x 6-pin, 1 x 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| SLI options | - | + |
| Bridgeless CrossFire | + | - |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| High bandwidth memory (HBM) | - | no data |
| Maximum RAM amount | 0 MB | 4 GB |
| Memory bus width | 512 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 1050 MHz | 7.0 GB/s |
| Memory bandwidth | 384 GB/s | 224 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort | Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |
| Multi monitor support | no data | 4 displays |
| Eyefinity | + | - |
| Number of Eyefinity displays | 6 | no data |
| VGA аnalog display support | no data | + |
| DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support | no data | + |
| HDMI | + | + |
| HDCP | - | + |
| Maximum VGA resolution | no data | 2048x1536 |
| DisplayPort support | + | - |
| G-SYNC support | - | + |
| Audio input for HDMI | no data | Internal |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| CrossFire | + | - |
| FreeSync | + | - |
| PowerTune | + | - |
| TrueAudio | + | - |
| VCE | + | - |
| DDMA audio | + | no data |
| GameStream | - | + |
| GeForce ShadowPlay | - | + |
| GPU Boost | no data | 2.0 |
| GameWorks | - | + |
| H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder | - | + |
| Optimus | - | + |
| BatteryBoost | - | + |
API compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | DirectX® 12 | 12 (12_1) |
| Shader Model | 6.3 | 6.4 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| OpenCL | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Vulkan | + | 1.1.126 |
| Mantle | + | - |
| CUDA | - | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
3DMark Vantage Performance
3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU
Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.
3DMark Ice Storm GPU
Ice Storm Graphics is an obsolete benchmark, part of 3DMark suite. Ice Storm was used to measure entry level laptops and Windows-based tablets performance. It utilizes DirectX 11 feature level 9 to display a battle between two space fleets near a frozen planet in 1280x720 resolution. Discontinued in January 2020, it is now superseded by 3DMark Night Raid.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 90
−2.2%
| 92
+2.2%
|
| 1440p | 40−45
−25%
| 50
+25%
|
| 4K | 51
+27.5%
| 40
−27.5%
|
Cost per frame, $
| 1080p | 4.77
+25.2%
| 5.97
−25.2%
|
| 1440p | 10.73
+2.4%
| 10.98
−2.4%
|
| 4K | 8.41
+63.2%
| 13.73
−63.2%
|
- R9 390X has 25% lower cost per frame in 1080p
- R9 390X and GTX 980 have nearly equal cost per frame in 1440p
- R9 390X has 63% lower cost per frame in 4K
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 45−50
−24.4%
|
55−60
+24.4%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
−20%
|
60−65
+20%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
+0%
|
75
+0%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 45−50
−24.4%
|
55−60
+24.4%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
−20%
|
60−65
+20%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
−22.4%
|
130−140
+22.4%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 65−70
−16.9%
|
75−80
+16.9%
|
| Metro Exodus | 60−65
−15.6%
|
70−75
+15.6%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 50−55
−13%
|
60−65
+13%
|
| Valorant | 95−100
−17.3%
|
110−120
+17.3%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
−2.7%
|
77
+2.7%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 45−50
−24.4%
|
55−60
+24.4%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
−20%
|
60−65
+20%
|
| Dota 2 | 85−90
+77.1%
|
48
−77.1%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 75−80
−9.2%
|
80−85
+9.2%
|
| Fortnite | 120−130
+17.1%
|
105
−17.1%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
−22.4%
|
130−140
+22.4%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 65−70
−16.9%
|
75−80
+16.9%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 80−85
+16.7%
|
72
−16.7%
|
| Metro Exodus | 60−65
−15.6%
|
70−75
+15.6%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 150−160
−25.2%
|
194
+25.2%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 50−55
−13%
|
60−65
+13%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 78
+16.4%
|
67
−16.4%
|
| Valorant | 95−100
−17.3%
|
110−120
+17.3%
|
| World of Tanks | 250−260
−6.3%
|
270−280
+6.3%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
+11.9%
|
67
−11.9%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 45−50
−24.4%
|
55−60
+24.4%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
−20%
|
60−65
+20%
|
| Dota 2 | 85−90
−14.1%
|
95−100
+14.1%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 75−80
−9.2%
|
80−85
+9.2%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
−22.4%
|
130−140
+22.4%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 65−70
−16.9%
|
75−80
+16.9%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 150−160
+125%
|
69
−125%
|
| Valorant | 95−100
−17.3%
|
110−120
+17.3%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Dota 2 | 40−45
−22%
|
50−55
+22%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 40−45
−24.4%
|
50−55
+24.4%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 170−180
+0%
|
170−180
+0%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 21−24
−22.7%
|
27−30
+22.7%
|
| World of Tanks | 160−170
−16%
|
180−190
+16%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 45−50
+4.3%
|
47
−4.3%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 21−24
−13.6%
|
24−27
+13.6%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 21−24
−23.8%
|
24−27
+23.8%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 70−75
−23.9%
|
85−90
+23.9%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 65−70
−21.5%
|
75−80
+21.5%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 35−40
−20.5%
|
45−50
+20.5%
|
| Metro Exodus | 55−60
−16.1%
|
65−70
+16.1%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 35−40
−25%
|
45−50
+25%
|
| Valorant | 65−70
−22.7%
|
80−85
+22.7%
|
4K
High Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 20−22
−5%
|
21−24
+5%
|
| Dota 2 | 40−45
−40.5%
|
59
+40.5%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 40−45
−40.5%
|
59
+40.5%
|
| Metro Exodus | 18−20
−21.1%
|
21−24
+21.1%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 75−80
+7.1%
|
70
−7.1%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 14−16
−20%
|
18−20
+20%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 40−45
−40.5%
|
59
+40.5%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 24−27
+13.6%
|
22
−13.6%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 20−22
−5%
|
21−24
+5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 8−9
−37.5%
|
10−12
+37.5%
|
| Dota 2 | 40−45
−23.8%
|
50−55
+23.8%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 30−35
−21.9%
|
35−40
+21.9%
|
| Fortnite | 30−33
+0%
|
30
+0%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 35−40
−18.4%
|
45−50
+18.4%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 21−24
−19%
|
24−27
+19%
|
| Valorant | 30−35
−25%
|
40−45
+25%
|
This is how R9 390X and GTX 980 compete in popular games:
- GTX 980 is 2% faster in 1080p
- GTX 980 is 25% faster in 1440p
- R9 390X is 28% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the R9 390X is 125% faster.
- in Dota 2, with 4K resolution and the High Preset, the GTX 980 is 40% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- R9 390X is ahead in 9 tests (14%)
- GTX 980 is ahead in 52 tests (81%)
- there's a draw in 3 tests (5%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 23.54 | 27.80 |
| Recency | 18 June 2015 | 19 September 2014 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 275 Watt | 165 Watt |
R9 390X has an age advantage of 8 months.
GTX 980, on the other hand, has a 18.1% higher aggregate performance score, and 66.7% lower power consumption.
The GeForce GTX 980 is our recommended choice as it beats the Radeon R9 390X in performance tests.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Other comparisons
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