GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 390X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022Core: 1545 MHzBoost: 1740 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 390X

2015Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 390X FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 90W instead of 275W, a 185W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 390X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 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

Why buy it

  • 22.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 205.6% higher power demand at 275W vs 90W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 390X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU instead at 9,489 vs 9,278, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 390X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 390X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 390X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1740 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,489 points. Launch price was $199.

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 GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU scores 9,489 and the Radeon R9 390X reaches 9,278 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 390X uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X). Raw compute: 7.127 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 5.914 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390X). Boost clocks: 1740 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
G3D Mark Score
9,489+2%
9,278
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048
2816+38%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.127 TFLOPS+21%
5.914 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1740 MHz+66%
1050 MHz
ROPs
32
64+100%
TMUs
64
176+175%
L1 Cache
2 MB+190%
0.69 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 390X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
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 RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has 4 GB 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 bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 384 GB/s (Radeon R9 390X) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon R9 390X. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 390X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 390X) — the GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
384 GB/s+100%
Bus Width
128-bit
512-bit+300%
L2 Cache
2 MB+100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) 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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon 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: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390X). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
Encoder
NVENC (7th Gen)
VCE 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
UVD 4.2
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU draws 90W versus the Radeon R9 390X's 275W — a 101.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390X). Power connectors: Mobile vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
TDP
90W-67%
275W
Recommended PSU
500W-33%
750W
Power Connector
Mobile
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
277mm
Height
129mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
80-6%
Perf/Watt
105.4+213%
33.7
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 4GB Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
MSRP
$429
Codename
GA107
Grenada
Release
January 27 2022
June 18 2015
Ranking
#276
#287

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