Arc 7-Core iGPU vs Radeon R9 390X

Intel

Arc 7-Core iGPU

2023Boost: 2200 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 390X

2015Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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Arc 7-Core iGPU vs Radeon R9 390X Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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.

Arc 7-Core iGPU vs Radeon R9 390X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Arc 7-Core iGPU

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $230 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
  • Delivers 117.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.0 vs 21.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
  • Radeon R9 390X is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Arc 7-Core iGPU is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 15W instead of 275W, a 260W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, Unknown of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Radeon R9 390X

2015

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 115.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $429 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.6 vs 47.0 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 1733.3% higher power demand at 275W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Arc 7-Core iGPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (9,349 vs 9,278), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Arc 7-Core iGPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 5nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Arc 7-Core iGPU makes the most sense to buy today. It is $230 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $429, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 117.2% (47.0 vs 21.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Arc 7-Core iGPU vs Radeon R9 390X Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Intel

Arc 7-Core iGPU

The Arc 7-Core iGPU is manufactured by Intel. It was released in December 14 2023. It features the Xe LPG architecture. The boost clock speed is 2200 MHz. It has 7 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,349 points.

AMD

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.

Graphics Performance

The Arc 7-Core iGPU scores 9,349 and the Radeon R9 390X reaches 9,278 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Arc 7-Core iGPU is built on Xe LPG while the Radeon R9 390X uses GCN 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 7 (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X). Boost clocks: 2200 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
G3D Mark Score
9,349
9,278
Architecture
Xe LPG
GCN 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
7
2816+40129%
Boost Clock
2200 MHz+110%
1050 MHz
L1 Cache
1.3 MB+88%
0.69 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Arc 7-Core iGPU has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 390X carries 8 GB. Radeon R9 390X gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Arc 7-Core iGPU and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 390X.

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
VRAM Capacity
Shared
8 GB
Memory Type
Shared
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
System
384 GB/s
Bus Width
System
512-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 390X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: QuickSync (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390X). Decoder: QuickSync vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9,MPEG-2 (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X).

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
Encoder
QuickSync
VCE 2.0
Decoder
QuickSync
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265,AV1,VP9,MPEG-2
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Arc 7-Core iGPU draws 15W versus the Radeon R9 390X's 275W — a 179.3% difference. The Arc 7-Core iGPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 277mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95 vs 80.

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
TDP
15W-95%
275W
Recommended PSU
500W-33%
750W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
0mm
277mm
Height
0mm
129mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
95
80-16%
Perf/Watt
623.3+1750%
33.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Arc 7-Core iGPU came in at $199, while the Radeon R9 390X launched at $429. On MSRP, Arc 7-Core iGPU was 53.6% cheaper ($230 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 47.0 (Arc 7-Core iGPU) vs 21.6 (Radeon R9 390X) — the Arc 7-Core iGPU offers 117.6% better value. The newer card here is Arc 7-Core iGPU (2023 vs 2015).

FeatureArc 7-Core iGPURadeon R9 390X
MSRP
$199-54%
$429
Performance per Dollar
47.0+118%
21.6
Codename
Meteor Lake iGPU
Grenada
Release
December 14 2023
June 18 2015
Ranking
#375
#287

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