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 390X

2015

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌83.3% higher power demand at 275W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 150W instead of 275W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $429 MSRP).

Radeon R9 390X

2015

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 150W instead of 275W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌83.3% higher power demand at 275W vs 150W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $429 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 390X better than Radeon RX 5600M?

Yes. Radeon R9 390X is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 9,278 vs 8,857 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon R9 390X is a 2015 card with FSR upscaling, while Radeon RX 5600M is a 2020 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

Radeon RX 5600M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015, better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR upscaling, and a 7nm 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?

Radeon R9 390X can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $429 MSRP. Radeon R9 390X is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon R9 390X is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $429 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 4.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5600M is the newer 2020 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (150W vs 275W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX 5600M make more sense than Radeon R9 390X?

Yes. Radeon RX 5600M is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (150W vs 275W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 390X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 390X currently gives you 4.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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 390X Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5600M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	105 FPS	79 FPS
medium	89 FPS	70 FPS
high	73 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	38 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	71 FPS
medium	75 FPS	63 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	27 FPS
medium	32 FPS	25 FPS
high	20 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	15 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390X Open Radeon RX 5600M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	187 FPS	220 FPS
medium	165 FPS	186 FPS
high	137 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	149 FPS
medium	106 FPS	121 FPS
high	85 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	80 FPS
medium	50 FPS	65 FPS
high	45 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	35 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390X Open Radeon RX 5600M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	418 FPS	399 FPS
medium	334 FPS	319 FPS
high	278 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	313 FPS	299 FPS
medium	251 FPS	239 FPS
high	209 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	209 FPS	199 FPS
medium	167 FPS	159 FPS
high	139 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	100 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390X Open Radeon RX 5600M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
1080p
low	230 FPS	241 FPS
medium	199 FPS	206 FPS
high	160 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	171 FPS	187 FPS
medium	148 FPS	166 FPS
high	115 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	98 FPS	104 FPS
medium	78 FPS	87 FPS
high	62 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	56 FPS

Open Radeon R9 390X Open Radeon RX 5600M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 390X and Radeon RX 5600M

Radeon R9 390X

The Radeon R9 390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,278 points. Launch price was $429.

Radeon RX 5600M

The Radeon RX 5600M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 7 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1035 MHz to 1265 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,857 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 390X scores 9,278 and the Radeon RX 5600M reaches 8,857 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 390X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5600M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600M). Raw compute: 5.914 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390X) vs 5.829 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600M). Boost clocks: 1050 MHz vs 1265 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
G3D Mark Score	9,278+5%	8,857
Architecture	GCN 2.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2816+22%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.914 TFLOPS+1%	5.829 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1050 MHz	1265 MHz+20%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	176+22%	144
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5600M is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon R9 390X lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 390X comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5600M has 6 GB. The Radeon R9 390X offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 384 GB/s (Radeon R9 390X) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 5600M) — a 33.3% advantage for the Radeon R9 390X. Bus width: 512-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 390X) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 5600M) — the Radeon RX 5600M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+33%	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	384 GB/s+33%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	512-bit+167%	192-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	3 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 390X) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5600M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
DirectX	12 (12_0)	12.1
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390X) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5600M). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5600M).

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	VCN 2.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 390X draws 275W versus the Radeon RX 5600M's 150W — a 58.8% difference. The Radeon RX 5600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 390X) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5600M). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 277mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 90°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 390X	Radeon RX 5600M
TDP	275W	150W-45%
Recommended PSU	750W	500W-33%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	277mm	0mm
Height	129mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80-11%	90°C
Perf/Watt	33.7	59.0+75%