Radeon R9 285 / 380 vs Radeon HD 7990
Radeon R9 285 / 380
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 7990
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
About G3D Mark
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 7990 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.3% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (3 GB vs 2 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 285 / 380.
| Insight | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 3.0 (2014−2019)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+50%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | Standard Size (305mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 285 / 380 holds the technical lead. Priced at $199 (vs $999), it costs 80% less, resulting in a 400.6% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+400.6%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($199) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($999) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 285 / 380 and Radeon HD 7990
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.
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.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 285 / 380 scores 5,550 and the Radeon HD 7990 reaches 5,566 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon HD 7990 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,792 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7990). Raw compute: 3.29 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7990).
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 5,550 | 5,566 |
| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1792 | 2048 ×2+14% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 3.29 TFLOPS | 4.096 TFLOPS ×2+24% |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 ×2 |
| TMUs | 112 | 128 ×2+14% |
| L1 Cache | 448 KB | 512 KB+14% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 768 KB+50% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 R9 285 / 380 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7990 has 3 GB. The Radeon HD 7990 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 7990) — a 1537.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 7990. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit x2. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 768 KB (Radeon HD 7990) — the Radeon HD 7990 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 3 GB+50% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 176 GB/s | 288 GB/s x2+64% |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | 384-bit x2+50% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 768 KB+50% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 12 (11_1) (Radeon HD 7990). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12 (11_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 5+25% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 3.0 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon HD 7990). Decoder: UVD 5.0 vs UVD 3.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 7990).
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 3.0 | VCE 1.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 5.0 | UVD 3.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,VP9 | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 285 / 380 draws 190W versus the Radeon HD 7990's 375W — a 65.5% difference. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 750W (Radeon HD 7990). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 221mm vs 305mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 190W-49% | 375W |
| Recommended PSU | 500W-33% | 750W |
| Power Connector | 2x 6-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Length | 221mm | 305mm |
| Height | 111mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | — | 85 |
| Perf/Watt | 29.2+97% | 14.8 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R9 285 / 380 launched at $199 MSRP and currently averages $199, while the Radeon HD 7990 launched at $999 and now averages $999. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 costs 80.1% less ($800 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 27.9 (Radeon R9 285 / 380) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7990) — the Radeon R9 285 / 380 offers 398.2% better value. The Radeon R9 285 / 380 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R9 285 / 380 | Radeon HD 7990 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $199-80% | $999 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $199-80% | $999 |
| Performance per Dollar | 27.9+398% | 5.6 |
| Codename | Tonga | Malta |
| Release | September 2 2014 | April 24 2013 |
| Ranking | #365 | #412 |
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The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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