Quadro K5000 vs Radeon R9 M390X

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.

Quadro K5000

2012

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
354.4% HIGHER MSRP
$2,499 MSRPvs$550 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
❌62.7% higher power demand at 122W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M390X

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,949 less on MSRP ($550 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 343.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.1 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($550 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 122W, a 47W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quadro K5000

2012

Radeon R9 M390X

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,949 less on MSRP ($550 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 343.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.1 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($550 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 122W, a 47W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
354.4% HIGHER MSRP
$2,499 MSRPvs$550 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
❌62.7% higher power demand at 122W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is Quadro K5000 better than Radeon R9 M390X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,989 vs 3,895 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Quadro K5000 is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

Quadro K5000 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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?

Quadro K5000 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Quadro K5000 is about 354.4% more expensive on MSRP at $2,499 MSRP versus $550 MSRP, and you are getting 2.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M390X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R9 M390X make more sense than Quadro K5000?

Yes. Radeon R9 M390X 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 (75W vs 122W), and staying closer to $550 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Quadro K5000. The trade-off is that Quadro K5000 currently gives you 2.4% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M390X still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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.

Quadro K5000 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M390X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
1080p
low	78 FPS	81 FPS
medium	67 FPS	69 FPS
high	53 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	71 FPS
medium	60 FPS	62 FPS
high	42 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	29 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	26 FPS
medium	23 FPS	24 FPS
high	15 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	14 FPS

Open Quadro K5000 Open Radeon R9 M390X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
1080p
low	80 FPS	91 FPS
medium	57 FPS	69 FPS
high	44 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	45 FPS	54 FPS
medium	29 FPS	38 FPS
high	22 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	21 FPS
4K
low	17 FPS	22 FPS
medium	11 FPS	16 FPS
high	9 FPS	12 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	9 FPS

Open Quadro K5000 Open Radeon R9 M390X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
1080p
low	180 FPS	175 FPS
medium	144 FPS	140 FPS
high	120 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	135 FPS	131 FPS
medium	108 FPS	105 FPS
high	90 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	90 FPS	88 FPS
medium	72 FPS	70 FPS
high	60 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	44 FPS

Open Quadro K5000 Open Radeon R9 M390X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
1080p
low	131 FPS	172 FPS
medium	103 FPS	140 FPS
high	88 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	99 FPS	122 FPS
medium	79 FPS	102 FPS
high	68 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	72 FPS
medium	44 FPS	56 FPS
high	35 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	30 FPS

Open Quadro K5000 Open Radeon R9 M390X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Quadro K5000 and Radeon R9 M390X

Quadro K5000

The Quadro K5000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 17 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 706 MHz to 706 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 122W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,989 points. Launch price was $2,499.

Radeon R9 M390X

The Radeon R9 M390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,895 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Quadro K5000 scores 3,989 and the Radeon R9 M390X reaches 3,895 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro K5000 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M390X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (Quadro K5000) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M390X). Raw compute: 2.169 TFLOPS (Quadro K5000) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M390X).

Feature	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
G3D Mark Score	3,989+2%	3,895
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2048+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.169 TFLOPS	2.961 TFLOPS+37%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	128	128
L1 Cache	128 KB	512 KB+300%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 64-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	256-bit+300%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro K5000 draws 122W versus the Radeon R9 M390X's 75W — a 47.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M390X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro K5000) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M390X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	Quadro K5000	Radeon R9 M390X
TDP	122W	75W-39%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	32.7	51.9+59%

💰

Value Analysis

The Quadro K5000 launched at $2499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M390X launched at $550. The Radeon R9 M390X costs 78% less ($1949 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.6 (Quadro K5000) vs 7.1 (Radeon R9 M390X) — the Radeon R9 M390X offers 343.8% better value. The Radeon R9 M390X is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2012).