Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 5600M

AMD

Radeon R9 390

2015Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5600M

2020Core: 1035 MHzBoost: 1265 MHz
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Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 5600M Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 5600M 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 R9 390 vs Radeon RX 5600M: 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 R9 390

2015

Why buy it

  • 14.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 26.9 vs 0 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 100% higher power demand at 300W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 5600M

2020

Why buy it

  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 150W instead of 300W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 390 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 26.9 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 390 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 5600M instead at 8,857 vs 8,855, 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 RX 5600M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 390 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 390 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 390 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 5600M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 5600M Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 390

The Radeon R9 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,855 points. Launch price was $329.

AMD

Radeon RX 5600M

The Radeon RX 5600M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 7 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1035 MHz to 1265 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,857 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 390 scores 8,855 and the Radeon RX 5600M reaches 8,857 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5600M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 390) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600M). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390) vs 5.829 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600M). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1265 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
G3D Mark Score
8,855
8,857
Architecture
GCN 2.0
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2560+11%
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.12 TFLOPS
5.829 TFLOPS+14%
Boost Clock
1000 MHz
1265 MHz+27%
ROPs
64
64
TMUs
160+11%
144
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5600M is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 390 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 390 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5600M carries 6 GB. Radeon R9 390 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 390) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 5600M) — a 11.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 390. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 390 and 192-bit on the Radeon RX 5600M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 390) vs 3 MB (Radeon RX 5600M) — the Radeon RX 5600M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+33%
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
320 GB/s+11%
288 GB/s
Bus Width
512-bit+167%
192-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
3 MB+200%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 390) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5600M). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
DirectX
12.0
12.1
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5600M). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5600M).

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
Encoder
VCE 2.0
VCN 2.0
Decoder
UVD 4.2
VCN 2.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 390 draws 300W versus the Radeon RX 5600M's 150W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 390) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5600M). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 275mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 90°C.

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
TDP
300W
150W-50%
Recommended PSU
750W
500W-33%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
275mm
0mm
Height
109mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
95°C
90°C-5%
Perf/Watt
29.5
59.0+100%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 5600M (2020 vs 2015).

FeatureRadeon R9 390Radeon RX 5600M
MSRP
$329
Codename
Grenada
Navi 10
Release
June 18 2015
July 7 2020
Ranking
#296
#295

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