AMD Radeon R9 390X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is the faster graphics card, scoring 20/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 18/100 for the AMD Radeon R9 390X — roughly 11% faster. That said, the gap is small, so the cheaper option is often the smarter buy.

AMD

AMD Radeon R9 390X

18
Gaming score / 100
Check AMD Radeon R9 390X price

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Winner

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

20
Gaming score / 100
Check NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 price

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Specs compared

SpecAMD Radeon R9 390XNVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Gaming score18/10020/100
VRAM8 GB4 GB
Memory typeGDDR5GDDR5
TDP275 W165 W
Boost clock1050 MHz1216 MHz
ReleaseJun 2015Sep 2014
MSRP$89.00$119.00

AMD Radeon R9 390X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980: which should you buy?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is the faster graphics card, scoring 20/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 18/100 for the AMD Radeon R9 390X — roughly 11% faster. That said, the gap is small, so the cheaper option is often the smarter buy. For your specific games and resolution, run both through our comparison tool, check pairing with the bottleneck calculator, or see where each lands on the tier list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AMD Radeon R9 390X better than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980?
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 is faster for gaming, scoring 20/100 versus 18/100 for the AMD Radeon R9 390X (about 11% faster).

Should I buy the AMD Radeon R9 390X or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980?
For raw gaming performance, choose the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980. If it costs notably more for only a small gain, the AMD Radeon R9 390X can be the better value. Check current prices before deciding.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.