G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 36.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 26.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 300W, a 180W reduction.
✅Measures 250mm instead of 275mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon R9 390

2015

Why buy it

✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.9 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 300W vs 120W.
❌10% longer card at 275mm vs 250mm.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

2017

Radeon R9 390

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 36.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 26.9 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 300W, a 180W reduction.
✅Measures 250mm instead of 275mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅60% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 5 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 5 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2017-era hardware with 5 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 26.9 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 300W vs 120W.
❌10% longer card at 275mm vs 250mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1060 5GB better than Radeon R9 390?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,175 vs 8,855 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (120W vs 300W).

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2017 generation instead of 2015, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $249 MSRP. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is about $80 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 3.6% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $249 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (120W vs 300W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Radeon R9 390 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 390 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $329 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
1080p
low	119 FPS	105 FPS
medium	106 FPS	89 FPS
high	89 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	89 FPS
medium	93 FPS	75 FPS
high	75 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	36 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	36 FPS
medium	42 FPS	32 FPS
high	30 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
1080p
low	146 FPS	198 FPS
medium	118 FPS	173 FPS
high	95 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	138 FPS
medium	62 FPS	110 FPS
high	46 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	61 FPS
medium	23 FPS	50 FPS
high	19 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
1080p
low	379 FPS	398 FPS
medium	330 FPS	319 FPS
high	246 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	299 FPS
medium	248 FPS	239 FPS
high	206 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	199 FPS
medium	160 FPS	159 FPS
high	108 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	100 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
1080p
low	258 FPS	224 FPS
medium	207 FPS	193 FPS
high	187 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	170 FPS
medium	154 FPS	146 FPS
high	132 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	97 FPS	95 FPS
medium	73 FPS	75 FPS
high	64 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 1060 5GB Open Radeon R9 390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 5GB and Radeon R9 390

GeForce GTX 1060 5GB

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 26 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1709 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,175 points.

Radeon R9 390

The Radeon R9 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,855 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB scores 9,175 and the Radeon R9 390 reaches 8,855 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 390). Raw compute: 4.375 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390). Boost clocks: 1709 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
G3D Mark Score	9,175+4%	8,855
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 2.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280	2560+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.375 TFLOPS	5.12 TFLOPS+17%
Boost Clock	1709 MHz+71%	1000 MHz
ROPs	40	64+60%
TMUs	80	160+100%
L1 Cache	480 KB	640 KB+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+25%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 390 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB comes with 5 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 390 has 8 GB. The Radeon R9 390 offers 60% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 390) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon R9 390. Bus width: 160-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 1.25 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 390) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
VRAM Capacity	5 GB	8 GB+60%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	320 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	160-bit	512-bit+220%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB+25%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 390). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12.0
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (6th Gen) (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390). Decoder: NVDEC (3rd Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390).

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
Encoder	NVENC (6th Gen)	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (3rd Gen)	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB draws 120W versus the Radeon R9 390's 300W — a 85.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 250mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 1060 5GB	Radeon R9 390
TDP	120W-60%	300W
Recommended PSU	400W-47%	750W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	250mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	76.5+159%	29.5

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 390 launched at $329. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB costs 24.3% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (GeForce GTX 1060 5GB) vs 26.9 (Radeon R9 390) — the GeForce GTX 1060 5GB offers 36.8% better value. The GeForce GTX 1060 5GB is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2015).