Radeon R9 390X vs RTX A1000 Mobile

AMD

Radeon R9 390X

2015Boost: 1050 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX A1000 Mobile

2022Core: 630 MHzBoost: 1140 MHz

Radeon R9 390X vs RTX A1000 Mobile 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 390X vs RTX A1000 Mobile 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 390X vs RTX A1000 Mobile: 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 390X

2015

Why buy it

  • 44.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($429 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 358.3% higher power demand at 275W vs 60W.

RTX A1000 Mobile

2022

Why buy it

  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 60W instead of 275W, a 215W reduction.
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 390X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $429 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 390X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 44.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward RTX A1000 Mobile instead at 9,463 vs 9,278, 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?
RTX A1000 Mobile is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 390X 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 390X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RTX A1000 Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 390X vs RTX A1000 Mobile Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 390X

The Radeon R9 390X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1050 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,278 points. Launch price was $429.

NVIDIA

RTX A1000 Mobile

The RTX A1000 Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 630 MHz to 1140 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 60W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,463 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 390X scores 9,278 and the RTX A1000 Mobile reaches 9,463 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 390X is built on GCN 2.0 while the RTX A1000 Mobile uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 390X) vs 2,048 (RTX A1000 Mobile). Raw compute: 5.914 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390X) vs 4.669 TFLOPS (RTX A1000 Mobile). Boost clocks: 1050 MHz vs 1140 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
G3D Mark Score
9,278
9,463+2%
Architecture
GCN 2.0
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2816+38%
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.914 TFLOPS+27%
4.669 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1050 MHz
1140 MHz+9%
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
176+175%
64
L1 Cache
0.69 MB
2 MB+190%
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A1000 Mobile gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 390X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 390X has 8 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A1000 Mobile carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 390X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 390X and 128-bit on the RTX A1000 Mobile. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 390X) vs 2 MB (RTX A1000 Mobile) — the RTX A1000 Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
512-bit+300%
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
2 MB+100%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) (Radeon R9 390X) vs 12.2 (RTX A1000 Mobile). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
DirectX
12 (12_0)
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390X) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A1000 Mobile). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390X) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (RTX A1000 Mobile).

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
Encoder
VCE 2.0
7th Gen NVENC
Decoder
UVD 4.2
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 390X draws 275W versus the RTX A1000 Mobile's 60W — a 128.4% difference. The RTX A1000 Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 390X) vs 500W (RTX A1000 Mobile). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 277mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 80°C.

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
TDP
275W
60W-78%
Recommended PSU
750W
500W-33%
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
277mm
0mm
Height
129mm
0mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80
80°C
Perf/Watt
33.7
157.7+368%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX A1000 Mobile (2022 vs 2015).

FeatureRadeon R9 390XRTX A1000 Mobile
MSRP
$429
Codename
Grenada
GA107
Release
June 18 2015
March 30 2022
Ranking
#287
#277

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