Radeon HD 7850 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.

Radeon HD 7850 vs Radeon R9 M390X 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.

Radeon HD 7850 vs Radeon R9 M390X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon HD 7850

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $301 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).
✅Delivers 121% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.7 vs 7.1 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $550 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M390X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌73.3% higher power demand at 130W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M390X

2015

Why buy it

✅24.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 130W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
120.9% HIGHER MSRP
$550 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 15.7 G3D/$ ($550 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M390X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 7850 instead at 3,897 vs 3,895, 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?

Radeon HD 7850 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7850 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $301 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $550, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 121% (15.7 vs 7.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M390X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 7850 vs Radeon R9 M390X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7850

The Radeon HD 7850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,897 points. Launch price was $249.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7850 scores 3,897 and the Radeon R9 M390X reaches 3,895 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7850 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M390X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 7850) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M390X). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7850) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M390X).

Feature	Radeon HD 7850	Radeon R9 M390X
G3D Mark Score	3,897	3,895
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	2048+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.761 TFLOPS	2.961 TFLOPS+68%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	128+100%
L1 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7850	Radeon R9 M390X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7850 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M390X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M390X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 153.6 GB/s (Radeon HD 7850) vs 160 GB/s (Radeon R9 M390X) — a 4.2% advantage for the Radeon R9 M390X. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7850 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M390X.

Feature	Radeon HD 7850	Radeon R9 M390X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	153.6 GB/s	160 GB/s+4%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7850 draws 130W versus the Radeon R9 M390X's 75W — a 53.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M390X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7850) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M390X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 7850	Radeon R9 M390X
TDP	130W	75W-42%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	210mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	30.0	51.9+73%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7850 came in at $249, while the Radeon R9 M390X launched at $550. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7850 was 54.7% cheaper ($301 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.7 (Radeon HD 7850) vs 7.1 (Radeon R9 M390X) — the Radeon HD 7850 offers 121.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M390X (2015 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7850	Radeon R9 M390X
MSRP	$249-55%	$550
Performance per Dollar	15.7+121%	7.1
Codename	Pitcairn	Amethyst
Release	March 5 2012	May 5 2015
Ranking	#503	#504

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