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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon Pro Vega 20 uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 8990 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 8990 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.9% higher G3D Mark score and 100+% more VRAM (3 GB vs 0 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon Pro Vega 20.

Insight	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+0.9%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.9%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / GCN 5.0 (2017−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100+%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 8990 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

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 7800X3D 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.

Radeon HD 8990 Benchmark Check

Radeon Pro Vega 20 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 8990 and Radeon Pro Vega 20

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%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon Pro Vega 20
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 8990 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro Vega 20 has 0 MB. The Radeon HD 8990 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit x2 vs 128-bit. 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

The Radeon HD 8990 launched at $999 MSRP and currently averages $999, while the Radeon Pro Vega 20 launched at $0 and now averages $0. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 costs 100+% less ($999 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs Infinity (Radeon Pro Vega 20) — the Radeon Pro Vega 20 offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2013).