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 7990 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 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 7990 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380: 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 7990

2013

Why buy it

✅2.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
402% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.6 vs 27.9 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌97.4% higher power demand at 375W vs 190W.
❌38% longer card at 305mm vs 221mm.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $800 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 400.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 27.9 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 190W instead of 375W, a 185W reduction.
✅Measures 221mm instead of 305mm, a 84mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (5,566 vs 5,550), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 7990 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 285 / 380 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $800 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 400.6% (27.9 vs 5.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7990 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7990 vs Radeon R9 285 / 380 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7990

The Radeon HD 7990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,566 points. Launch price was $999.

Radeon R9 285 / 380

The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 2 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 918 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,550 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7990 scores 5,566 and the Radeon R9 285 / 380 reaches 5,550 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7990 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
G3D Mark Score	5,566	5,550
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2+14%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+24%	3.29 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2	32
TMUs	128 ×2+14%	112
L1 Cache	512 KB+14%	448 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 7990 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 carries 2 GB. Radeon HD 7990 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — a 1537.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 7990 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 285 / 380. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 7990) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon HD 7990 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s x2+64%	176 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit x2+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990) vs 12 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 5 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
DirectX	12 (11_1)	12
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	5+25%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Decoder: UVD 3.2 vs UVD 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7990) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380).

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 3.2	UVD 5.0
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7990 draws 375W versus the Radeon R9 285 / 380's 190W — a 65.5% difference. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 7990) vs 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 305mm vs 221mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
TDP	375W	190W-49%
Recommended PSU	750W	500W-33%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	305mm	221mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85	—
Perf/Watt	14.8	29.2+97%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7990 came in at $999, while the Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon R9 285 / 380 was 80.1% cheaper ($800 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) vs 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 398.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 285 / 380 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 7990	Radeon R9 285 / 380
MSRP	$999	$199-80%
Performance per Dollar	5.6	27.9+398%
Codename	Malta	Tonga
Release	April 24 2013	September 2 2014
Ranking	#412	#365

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