GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon R9 390
GeForce RTX 3060
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Radeon R9 390
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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 GeForce RTX 3060
Performance Per Dollar
Why is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon R9 390?
The matchup between the Radeon R9 390 and the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti highlights more than five years of rapid GPU evolution. The Radeon R9 390 was a 275W flagship in 2015, legendary for its 8GB of VRAM. The RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 desktop powerhouse from the Ampere generation that redefined value at the 1440p tier.\n\nIn raw benchmarks, the RTX 3060 Ti is roughly 2 to 3 times more powerful while being significantly more power-efficient. It also introduces features that didn't exist when the R9 390 launched, such as hardware-accelerated Ray Tracing and AI-powered upscaling (DLSS). While the R9 390 remains a celebrated classic for its longevity and large VRAM, it lacks the driver support and modern feature set of the RTX card. The 3060 Ti handles modern AAA titles at ultra settings at high resolutions that would be impossible for the aging Hawaii-based flagship.\n\nUltimately, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the superior choice for any contemporary gaming or creative task. The Radeon R9 R390 was a beast in 2015, but for today's standards, it has been outclassed by modern architecture. Upgrading to a 30-series card represents a night-and-day difference in speed, resolution, and overall system responsiveness.
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce RTX 3060 is significantly newer (2021 vs 2015). The GeForce RTX 3060 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 390 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce RTX 3060 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 91.9% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (12 GB vs 8 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 390.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+91.9%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-91.9%) |
| Longevity | 🔮Strong Longevity (Ampere / 8nm) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | ✨ DLSS 2 Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (12 GB) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | Standard Size (275mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R9 390 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $65 versus $289 for the GeForce RTX 3060, it costs 78% less. While it maintains lower overall performance, this results in a 131.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+131.7%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($289) | ✅More affordable ($65) |
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 GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon R9 390
GeForce RTX 3060
The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.
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.
Graphics Performance
In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon R9 390's 8,855 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 91.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 390). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 390). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1000 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995+92% | 8,855 |
| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584+40% | 2560 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS+149% | 5.12 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz+78% | 1000 MHz |
| ROPs | 48 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 112 | 160+43% |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB+456% | 0.63 MB |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 390 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | DLSS 2.0 | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 390 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 390) — a 12.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060. Bus width: 192-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 390) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB+50% | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s+13% | 320 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 512-bit+167% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 390). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate | 12.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+8% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 390). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 390).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 390's 300W — a 55.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 750W (Radeon R9 390). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 95°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W-43% | 300W |
| Recommended PSU | 550W-27% | 750W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 275mm |
| Height | 112mm | 109mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75-21% | 95°C |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0+239% | 29.5 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $289, while the Radeon R9 390 launched at $329 and now averages $65. The Radeon R9 390 costs 77.5% less ($224 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 58.8 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 136.2 (Radeon R9 390) — the Radeon R9 390 offers 131.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | Radeon R9 390 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | $329 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $289 | $65-78% |
| Performance per Dollar | 58.8 | 136.2+132% |
| Codename | GA106 | Grenada |
| Release | January 12 2021 | June 18 2015 |
| Ranking | #114 | #296 |
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