GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 390X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon R9 390X

2015Boost: 1050 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 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 4060 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 4060 Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • 82.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 160W instead of 275W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $429 MSRP).

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).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 71.9% higher power demand at 275W vs 160W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 82.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 87.5% in PassMark G3D (17,400 vs 9,278), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 390X has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, 34 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 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 lighter 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU vs Radeon R9 390X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU scores 17,400 versus the Radeon R9 390X's 9,278 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 87.5%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon R9 390X uses GCN 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X). Raw compute: 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 5.914 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390X). Boost clocks: 2535 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
G3D Mark Score
17,400+88%
9,278
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
4352+55%
2816
Compute (TFLOPS)
22.06 TFLOPS+273%
5.914 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2535 MHz+141%
1050 MHz
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
136
176+29%
L1 Cache
4.3 MB+523%
0.69 MB
L2 Cache
32 MB+3100%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 390X does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 384 GB/s (Radeon R9 390X) — a 50% advantage for the Radeon R9 390X. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 390X. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 390X) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
256 GB/s
384 GB/s+50%
Bus Width
128-bit
512-bit+300%
L2 Cache
32 MB+3100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 390X). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 (12_0)
Vulkan
1.4+17%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060 Laptop GPU) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
Encoder
NVENC (8th 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 4060 Laptop GPU draws 160W versus the Radeon R9 390X's 275W — a 52.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390X). Power connectors: Mobile vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
TDP
160W-42%
275W
Recommended PSU
650W-13%
750W
Power Connector
Mobile
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
277mm
Height
129mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
80
Perf/Watt
108.8+223%
33.7
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPURadeon R9 390X
MSRP
$429
Codename
AD106
Grenada
Release
May 18 2023
June 18 2015
Ranking
#59
#287

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