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.

Radeon R9 390

2015

Why buy it

✅8.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 86.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.9 vs 14.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌41% longer card at 275mm vs 195mm.

Radeon R9 Fury X

2015

Why buy it

✅Measures 195mm instead of 275mm, a 80mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 390 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 26.9 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Radeon R9 390

2015

Radeon R9 Fury X

2015

Why buy it

✅8.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 86.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.9 vs 14.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Measures 195mm instead of 275mm, a 80mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌41% longer card at 275mm vs 195mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 390 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
97.3% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.5 vs 26.9 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 390 better than Radeon R9 Fury X?

Yes. Radeon R9 390 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 8.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 6% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM.

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

Radeon R9 390 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Radeon R9 390 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon R9 390 is about $320 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 8.6% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (8,855 vs 9,382). It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 86.2%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon R9 Fury X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 Fury X is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $649 MSRP, even if Radeon R9 390 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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.

Radeon R9 390 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 Fury X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
1080p
low	105 FPS	92 FPS
medium	89 FPS	80 FPS
high	73 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	76 FPS
medium	75 FPS	66 FPS
high	55 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	30 FPS
medium	32 FPS	27 FPS
high	20 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	18 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390 Open Radeon R9 Fury X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
1080p
low	184 FPS	243 FPS
medium	162 FPS	205 FPS
high	134 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	133 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	176 FPS
medium	106 FPS	145 FPS
high	85 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	94 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	98 FPS
medium	50 FPS	80 FPS
high	45 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	49 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390 Open Radeon R9 Fury X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
1080p
low	398 FPS	422 FPS
medium	319 FPS	338 FPS
high	266 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	211 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	317 FPS
medium	239 FPS	253 FPS
high	199 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	149 FPS	158 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	211 FPS
medium	159 FPS	169 FPS
high	133 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	106 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390 Open Radeon R9 Fury X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
1080p
low	224 FPS	160 FPS
medium	193 FPS	133 FPS
high	156 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	116 FPS
medium	146 FPS	98 FPS
high	113 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	95 FPS	71 FPS
medium	75 FPS	58 FPS
high	59 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	36 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390 Open Radeon R9 Fury X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 390 and Radeon R9 Fury X

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.

Radeon R9 Fury X

The Radeon R9 Fury X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 24 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,382 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon R9 390 scores 8,855 versus the Radeon R9 Fury X's 9,382 — the Radeon R9 Fury X leads by 6%. The Radeon R9 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 Fury X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 390) vs 4,096 (Radeon R9 Fury X). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390) vs 8.602 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 Fury X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
G3D Mark Score	8,855	9,382+6%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560	4096+60%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.12 TFLOPS	8.602 TFLOPS+68%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1050 MHz+5%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160	256+60%
L1 Cache	0.63 MB	1 MB+59%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 390 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 Fury X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 390 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 390) vs 512 GB/s (Radeon R9 Fury X) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon R9 Fury X. Bus width: 512-bit vs 4096-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 390) vs 2 MB (Radeon R9 Fury X) — the Radeon R9 Fury X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	HBM
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	512 GB/s+60%
Bus Width	512-bit	4096-bit+700%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 390) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 Fury X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 Fury X). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 6.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon R9 Fury X).

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 6.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 390 draws 300W versus the Radeon R9 Fury X's 275W — a 8.7% difference. The Radeon R9 Fury X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 390) vs 600W (Radeon R9 Fury X). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 195mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 60°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 390	Radeon R9 Fury X
TDP	300W	275W-8%
Recommended PSU	750W	600W-20%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	275mm	195mm
Height	109mm	115mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	60°C-37%
Perf/Watt	29.5	34.1+16%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 390 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 Fury X launched at $649. The Radeon R9 390 costs 49.3% less ($320 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 26.9 (Radeon R9 390) vs 14.5 (Radeon R9 Fury X) — the Radeon R9 390 offers 85.5% better value.