Radeon HD 8990 vs Radeon Pro Vega 20

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 8990 vs Radeon Pro Vega 20 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 8990 vs Radeon Pro Vega 20: 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 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅12.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon Pro Vega 20 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 8990 is the less risky modern option long term.

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.
❌275% higher power demand at 375W vs 100W.

Radeon Pro Vega 20

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 375W, a 275W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (5,214 vs 5,169), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 8990 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8990 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 8990 vs Radeon Pro Vega 20 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 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: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

Radeon Pro Vega 20

The Radeon Pro Vega 20 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 14 2018. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 815 MHz to 1283 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,169 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8990 scores 5,214 and the Radeon Pro Vega 20 reaches 5,169 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8990 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Pro Vega 20 uses GCN 5.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 1,280 (Radeon Pro Vega 20). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 3.284 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro Vega 20). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1283 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
G3D Mark Score	5,214	5,169
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 5.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2+60%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+25%	3.284 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1283 MHz+28%
ROPs	32 ×2	32
TMUs	128 ×2+60%	80
L1 Cache	512 KB+60%	320 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
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 8990 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro Vega 20 carries 0 MB. Radeon HD 8990 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990 and 128-bit on the Radeon Pro Vega 20. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8990) vs 1 MB (Radeon Pro Vega 20) — the Radeon Pro Vega 20 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit x2+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8990 draws 375W versus the Radeon Pro Vega 20's 100W — a 115.8% difference. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 8990) vs 1W (Radeon Pro Vega 20). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs Integrated.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
TDP	375W	100W-73%
Recommended PSU	750W	1W-100%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	Integrated
Length	—	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	—	0
Temp (Load)	—	80
Perf/Watt	13.9	51.7+272%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8990 came in at $999, while the Radeon Pro Vega 20 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon Pro Vega 20 was 100+% cheaper ($999 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs Infinity (Radeon Pro Vega 20) — the Radeon Pro Vega 20 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro Vega 20 (2018 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
MSRP	$999	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	5.2	Infinity
Codename	Malta	Vega 12
Release	April 24 2013	November 14 2018
Ranking	#412	#435

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