• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

R9 290x or r9 390?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 29, 2012
Messages
1,926 (0.46/day)
Location
UK
System Name TITAN Slayer / CPUCannon / MassFX
Processor i7 5960X @ 4.6Ghz / i7 3960x @5.0Ghz / FX6350 @ 4.?Ghz
Motherboard Rampage V Extreme / Rampage IV Extreme / MSI 970 Gaming
Cooling Phanteks PHTC14PE 2.5K 145mm TRs / Custom waterloop / Phanteks PHTC14PE + 3K 140mm Noctuas
Memory Crucial 2666 11-13-13-25 1.45V / G.skill RipjawsX 2400 10-12-12-34 1.7V / Crucial 2133 9-9-9-27 1.7V
Video Card(s) 3 Fury X in CF / R9 Fury 3840 cores 1145/570 1.3V / Nothing ATM
Storage 500GB Crucial SSD and 3TB WD Black / WD 1TB Black(OS) + WD 3TB Green / WD 1TB Blue
Display(s) LG 29UM67 80Hz/Asus mx299q 2560x1080 @ 84Hz / Asus VX239 1920x1080 @60hz
Case Dismatech easy v3.0 / Xigmatek Alfar (Open side panel)
Audio Device(s) M-audio M-track / realtek ALC 1150
Power Supply EVGA G2 1600W / CoolerMaster V1000 / Seasonic 620 M12-II
Mouse Mouse in review process/Razer Naga Epic 2011/Razer Naga 2014
Keyboard Keyboard in review process / Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2014/Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2011
Software Windows 7 Ultimate / Windows 7 ultimate / Windows 7 ultimate
Benchmark Scores cinebench 15.41 3960x @ 5.3ghz Wprime32m 3.352 3960x @ 5.25ghz Super PI 32m: 6m 42s 472ms @5.25ghz
They're basically the same.
 
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
3,624 (0.90/day)
Location
GMT +2
System Name Red Radiance l under construction
Processor 5800x
Motherboard x470 taichi
Cooling stock wrath
Memory TridentZ Neo rgb 3600mhz (2x8 kit)
Video Card(s) Sapphire Vega 64 nitro+
Storage 970 evo nvme
Display(s) lc27g75tq
Case tt core x5 tge
Audio Device(s) sennheiser's pc323d usb soundcard
Power Supply corsair AX860i
Mouse roccat burst pro
Keyboard roccat ryos mk fx
Software windows 10
390=290(non X) so 290x >390. both are fine for 1080p. just get cheaper one
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
The 390 is marginally faster at 1080p but we are literally talking a couple of %, that is across about 15 tested games on our review, what you really need to do is cherry pick the games you mostly play and look at individual results between the 2 cards as a comparison, instinct would suggest going for the 390 but if you can pick up a nice and really cheap 290X (as I did last week for the price of a 280X) then that may be worth your while.
 
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
13,210 (3.83/day)
Location
Sunshine Coast
System Name Black Box
Processor Intel Xeon E3-1260L v5
Motherboard MSI E3 KRAIT Gaming v5
Cooling Tt tower + 120mm Tt fan
Memory G.Skill 16GB 3600 C18
Video Card(s) Asus GTX 970 Mini
Storage Kingston A2000 512Gb NVME
Display(s) AOC 24" Freesync 1m.s. 75Hz
Case Corsair 450D High Air Flow.
Audio Device(s) No need.
Power Supply FSP Aurum 650W
Mouse Yes
Keyboard Of course
Software W10 Pro 64 bit
390=290(non X) so 290x >390. both are fine for 1080p. just get cheaper one
It's not as simple as a rename. The 390 is actually faster than a 290.
 
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
3,624 (0.90/day)
Location
GMT +2
System Name Red Radiance l under construction
Processor 5800x
Motherboard x470 taichi
Cooling stock wrath
Memory TridentZ Neo rgb 3600mhz (2x8 kit)
Video Card(s) Sapphire Vega 64 nitro+
Storage 970 evo nvme
Display(s) lc27g75tq
Case tt core x5 tge
Audio Device(s) sennheiser's pc323d usb soundcard
Power Supply corsair AX860i
Mouse roccat burst pro
Keyboard roccat ryos mk fx
Software windows 10
It's not as simple as a rename. The 390 is actually faster than a 290.
wiz doesnt retest old cards for reviews of new ones so fps count for 290 in 390`s review comes from 290 tested with 13.11 beta while 390's reviews are with catalist 15.15 beta. that is why 390 is faster then 290
if you use 290 with 15.15 beta you will have max 1-2% deviation from 390`s numbers.
both (290x&390) are fine for 1080p
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
4,180 (1.15/day)
Location
Texas
System Name SnowFire / The Reinforcer
Processor i7 10700K 5.1ghz (24/7) / 2x Xeon E52650v2
Motherboard Asus Strix Z490 / Dell Dual Socket (R720)
Cooling RX 360mm + 140mm Custom Loop / Dell Stock
Memory Corsair RGB 16gb DDR4 3000 CL 16 / DDR3 128gb 16 x 8gb
Video Card(s) GTX Titan XP (2025mhz) / Asus GTX 950 (No Power Connector)
Storage Samsung 970 1tb NVME and 2tb HDD x4 RAID 5 / 300gb x8 RAID 5
Display(s) Acer XG270HU, Samsung G7 Odyssey (1440p 240hz)
Case Thermaltake Cube / Dell Poweredge R720 Rack Mount Case
Audio Device(s) Realtec ALC1150 (On board)
Power Supply Rosewill Lightning 1300Watt / Dell Stock 750 / Brick
Mouse Logitech G5
Keyboard Logitech G19S
Software Windows 11 Pro / Windows Server 2016
I would get the 290X mostly because it can be had for cheaper and its the full unlocked chip which can be overclocked to the same levels and best the 390.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
Only reason the 390 is a bit faster at 1080p is they reclocked them to keep people from buying the 390 only for higher res setups. You can easily achieve the same thing by OCing the 290x to same speed.

A 390 for 1080p is a waste of unused VRAM and money, plain and simple.

That said, if you think you might step up to a higher res, the 390 makes sense.

The only other thing to consider is bin sorting. You WILL risk a 290x not being able to hold a stable OC on all games, which can happen with low ASIC quality chips.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2006
Messages
5,147 (0.78/day)
Location
AZ
System Name Thought I'd be done with this by now
Processor i7 11700k 8/16
Motherboard MSI Z590 Pro Wifi
Cooling Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4, 9x aigo AR12
Memory 32GB GSkill TridentZ Neo DDR4-4000 CL18-22-22-42
Video Card(s) MSI Ventus 2x Geforce RTX 3070
Storage 1TB MX300 M.2 OS + Games, + cloud mostly
Display(s) Samsung 40" 4k (TV)
Case Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic EVO Black
Audio Device(s) onboard HD -> Yamaha 5.1
Power Supply EVGA 850 GQ
Mouse Logitech wireless
Keyboard same
VR HMD nah
Software Windows 10
Benchmark Scores no one cares anymore lols
290X and 390 are the same on core clock, the 390 just has faster memory, but the 290X makes up for that by having 16 more TMUs and a few more stream processors. All in all I'd expect the 290X to out perform the 390 in most real world gaming situations but not in a noticeable way. Warranty and bundled items are likely to favor the 390 though you should be able to find a better deal on a 290X. Neither card should disappoint.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
290X and 390 are the same on core clock...

Not from what I've seen in actual product, esp aftermarket cooled ones.

Take a look at these.

R9 290X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...BESTMATCH&Description=r9+290x&N=-1&isNodeId=1

R9 390
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=BESTMATCH&Description=r9+390&N=-1&isNodeId=1

The 290X's typically have 1000 core, whereas the 390s have 1015. There's really not even enough substantial proof that you NEED 8GB for higher res, including 4k.

 

AsRock

TPU addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
18,851 (3.08/day)
Location
UK\USA
Processor AMD 3900X \ AMD 7700X
Motherboard ASRock AM4 X570 Pro 4 \ ASUS X670Xe TUF
Cooling D15
Memory Patriot 2x16GB PVS432G320C6K \ G.Skill Flare X5 F5-6000J3238F 2x16GB
Video Card(s) eVga GTX1060 SSC \ XFX RX 6950XT RX-695XATBD9
Storage Sammy 860, MX500, Sabrent Rocket 4 Sammy Evo 980 \ 1xSabrent Rocket 4+, Sammy 2x990 Pro
Display(s) Samsung 1080P \ LG 43UN700
Case Fractal Design Pop Air 2x140mm fans from Torrent \ Fractal Design Torrent 2 SilverStone FHP141x2
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V677 \ Yamaha CX-830+Yamaha MX-630 Infinity RS4000\Paradigm P Studio 20, Blue Yeti
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX-750 \ Corsair RM1000X Shift
Mouse Steelseries Sensei wireless \ Steelseries Sensei wireless
Keyboard Logitech K120 \ Wooting Two HE
Benchmark Scores Meh benchmarks.
Only reason the 390 is a bit faster at 1080p is they reclocked them to keep people from buying the 390 only for higher res setups. You can easily achieve the same thing by OCing the 290x to same speed.

A 390 for 1080p is a waste of unused VRAM and money, plain and simple.

That said, if you think you might step up to a higher res, the 390 makes sense.

The only other thing to consider is bin sorting. You WILL risk a 290x not being able to hold a stable OC on all games, which can happen with low ASIC quality chips.

Mines low and can do 1200 \ 1250 without issue, how ever as i am happy with 30-70fps mines clocked at a measly 715\1250 and play games at 3200x1800 without issue.

I would wait for the Nano if your really thinking of a 390.

Never mind the point if you can get your hands on a XFX 290 new with the dual fan their be a lifetime warranty.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
I would wait for the Nano if your really thinking of a 390.

Never mind the point if you can get your hands on a XFX 290 new with the dual fan their be a lifetime warranty.
Personally I'm looking much farther ahead. I plan to do a core platform change next year sometime. Probably Pascal or equivalent.
 

AsRock

TPU addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
18,851 (3.08/day)
Location
UK\USA
Processor AMD 3900X \ AMD 7700X
Motherboard ASRock AM4 X570 Pro 4 \ ASUS X670Xe TUF
Cooling D15
Memory Patriot 2x16GB PVS432G320C6K \ G.Skill Flare X5 F5-6000J3238F 2x16GB
Video Card(s) eVga GTX1060 SSC \ XFX RX 6950XT RX-695XATBD9
Storage Sammy 860, MX500, Sabrent Rocket 4 Sammy Evo 980 \ 1xSabrent Rocket 4+, Sammy 2x990 Pro
Display(s) Samsung 1080P \ LG 43UN700
Case Fractal Design Pop Air 2x140mm fans from Torrent \ Fractal Design Torrent 2 SilverStone FHP141x2
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V677 \ Yamaha CX-830+Yamaha MX-630 Infinity RS4000\Paradigm P Studio 20, Blue Yeti
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX-750 \ Corsair RM1000X Shift
Mouse Steelseries Sensei wireless \ Steelseries Sensei wireless
Keyboard Logitech K120 \ Wooting Two HE
Benchmark Scores Meh benchmarks.
Well the op is probably looking to upgrade this year unlike my self which is a few years to realistic as it's going be expensive.

Cannot really see it worth it then really for me personally, but a 7970 gotta be showing a little weakness now due to the lower memory which is why i upgraded from my 6970 at the time.

Just going wait it out i am happy with 1080 tbh and over the moon with 3200x1800 and cpu seems to be keeping up with every thing, Would like a new HDTV but i don't need or want a 4k and all this monitor HDTV is lacking and seems a bit yay and nay, probably wait until AV's get some new connections and come down in price.

And HDTV DP+ freesync\Gsync and a AV with DP going take some time if it ever happens.

Playing a long waiting game ha.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
Well the op is probably looking to upgrade this year unlike my self which is a few years to realistic as it's going be expensive.

Cannot really see it worth it then really for me personally, but a 7970 gotta be showing a little weakness now due to the lower memory which is why i upgraded from my 6970 at the time.

Yeah I know you meant OP, just giving my two cents for my own plans.

I was more worried about the 7970 becoming inadequate on Unity's launch, but ever since getting better working drivers, there's not a game I'm having issues with. Just hope that remains the case.

I mostly play AAA titles though, which are the ones more likely to get Dx12 optimization.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2006
Messages
5,147 (0.78/day)
Location
AZ
System Name Thought I'd be done with this by now
Processor i7 11700k 8/16
Motherboard MSI Z590 Pro Wifi
Cooling Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 4, 9x aigo AR12
Memory 32GB GSkill TridentZ Neo DDR4-4000 CL18-22-22-42
Video Card(s) MSI Ventus 2x Geforce RTX 3070
Storage 1TB MX300 M.2 OS + Games, + cloud mostly
Display(s) Samsung 40" 4k (TV)
Case Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic EVO Black
Audio Device(s) onboard HD -> Yamaha 5.1
Power Supply EVGA 850 GQ
Mouse Logitech wireless
Keyboard same
VR HMD nah
Software Windows 10
Benchmark Scores no one cares anymore lols
Not from what I've seen in actual product, esp aftermarket cooled ones.

Take a look at these.

R9 290X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...BESTMATCH&Description=r9+290x&N=-1&isNodeId=1

R9 390
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=BESTMATCH&Description=r9+390&N=-1&isNodeId=1

The 290X's typically have 1000 core, whereas the 390s have 1015. There's really not even enough substantial proof that you NEED 8GB for higher res, including 4k.


on newegg 290X core clocks (10 total), 1000, 1020, 1050, 1030, 1000, 1050, 1050, 1000, 1000, 1020... averaging 1022mhz though 1000 shows up 4 times and 1050 shows up 3 times. Bottom 5 average 1004mhz, top 5 average 1040mhz
on newegg 390 core clocks (10 total), 1015, 1010, 1060, 1025, 1010, 1050, 1050, 1020, 1000, 1000... averaging 1024mhz though 1000, 1010, and 1050 show up 2 times. Bottom 5 average 1007mhz, top 5 average 1041mhz

BOTH vary depending on specific version but the standard clock base is 1000mhz and even across the changes you're talking 1-3mhz average difference. That's not even a percentage point. And yes I see that there are 8 390's above 1000mhz and only 6 290X's above 1000mhz but that's still the majority in both cases.

Also as I've posted elsewhere the 390 doesn't have the ability to run any game that would require 8GB of video memory, you would need to be crossfired.
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
on newegg 290X core clocks (10 total), 1000, 1020, 1050, 1030, 1000, 1050, 1050, 1000, 1000, 1020... averaging 1022mhz though 1000 shows up 4 times and 1050 shows up 3 times. Bottom 5 average 1004mhz, top 5 average 1040mhz
on newegg 390 core clocks (10 total), 1015, 1010, 1060, 1025, 1010, 1050, 1050, 1020, 1000, 1000... averaging 1024mhz though 1000, 1010, and 1050 show up 2 times. Bottom 5 average 1007mhz, top 5 average 1041mhz

BOTH vary depending on specific version but the standard clock base is 1000mhz and even across the changes you're talking 1-3mhz average difference. That's not even a percentage point. And yes I see that there are 8 390's above 1000mhz and only 6 290X's above 1000mhz but that's still the majority in both cases.

Also as I've posted elsewhere the 390 doesn't have the ability to run any game that would require 8GB of video memory, you would need to be crossfired.

And of course you can also get 8GB 290X's, but as you have said, you don't really need them.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
And of course you can also get 8GB 290X's, but as you have said, you don't really need them.


What I'm finding interesting after looking at JayZTwoCents' 390 vs 970 video is the 390 pretty much beats it across the board at all resolutions and at a slightly better price.

I used to suggest a 290x to those whom wanted an equal priced card with near same performance as a 970, but less chance of VRAM cap, but it looks like the 390 is even a better option.

 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
What I'm finding interesting after looking at JayZTwoCents' 390 vs 970 video is the 390 pretty much beats it across the board at all resolutions and at a slightly better price.

I used to suggest a 290x to those whom wanted an equal priced card with near same performance as a 970, but less chance of VRAM cap, but it looks like the 390 is even a better option.

I think "like for like" you are possibly right, however I bought my 290X 2 weeks ago and it was significantly cheaper than the 390, in fact pretty much what a 280X cost 2 months ago, I am not suggesting that you can get a 290X for 25-30% cheaper than a 390 everywhere but if you can and $ matter it may be the better option.
 

Aquinus

Resident Wat-man
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Messages
13,147 (2.96/day)
Location
Concord, NH, USA
System Name Apollo
Processor Intel Core i9 9880H
Motherboard Some proprietary Apple thing.
Memory 64GB DDR4-2667
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 8GB HBM2
Storage 1TB Apple NVMe, 4TB External
Display(s) Laptop @ 3072x1920 + 2x LG 5k Ultrafine TB3 displays
Case MacBook Pro (16", 2019)
Audio Device(s) AirPods Pro, Sennheiser HD 380s w/ FIIO Alpen 2, or Logitech 2.1 Speakers
Power Supply 96w Power Adapter
Mouse Logitech MX Master 3
Keyboard Logitech G915, GL Clicky
Software MacOS 12.1
I think "like for like" you are possibly right, however I bought my 290X 2 weeks ago and it was significantly cheaper than the 390, in fact pretty much what a 280X cost 2 months ago, I am not suggesting that you can get a 290X for 25-30% cheaper than a 390 everywhere but if you can and $ matter it may be the better option.
When I was looking, difference in price was something like 30 to 50 USD which I personally thought was worth the tweaks and extra VRAM. I'm sure cost varies by region though. I can't say that the 390 has disappointed me though by any measure.

Edit: Just checked, 30 20 USD for cheapest 290X versus the 390 I got in my region. (Cheaper one was open box...)
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
I think "like for like" you are possibly right, however I bought my 290X 2 weeks ago and it was significantly cheaper than the 390, in fact pretty much what a 280X cost 2 months ago, I am not suggesting that you can get a 290X for 25-30% cheaper than a 390 everywhere but if you can and $ matter it may be the better option.


That's because stupidly AMD put 8GB VRAM on it, which it will never use due to not being powerful enough. They should have limited it to at least 6GB to hit a better price point, maybe even 4GB considering the clock speed, price point, and intended res for most at that price range.

Then it would have been a clear value king in it's price range, vs just a slightly better bargain than a typically priced 970.
 

Aquinus

Resident Wat-man
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Messages
13,147 (2.96/day)
Location
Concord, NH, USA
System Name Apollo
Processor Intel Core i9 9880H
Motherboard Some proprietary Apple thing.
Memory 64GB DDR4-2667
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 8GB HBM2
Storage 1TB Apple NVMe, 4TB External
Display(s) Laptop @ 3072x1920 + 2x LG 5k Ultrafine TB3 displays
Case MacBook Pro (16", 2019)
Audio Device(s) AirPods Pro, Sennheiser HD 380s w/ FIIO Alpen 2, or Logitech 2.1 Speakers
Power Supply 96w Power Adapter
Mouse Logitech MX Master 3
Keyboard Logitech G915, GL Clicky
Software MacOS 12.1
That's because stupidly AMD put 8GB VRAM on it, which it will never use due to not being powerful enough. They should have limited it to at least 6GB to hit a better price point, maybe even 4GB considering the clock speed, price point, and intended res for most at that price range.

Then it would have been a clear value king in it's price range, vs just a slightly better bargain than a typically priced 970.
Are you certain? As it stands right now, it seems that the memory controller itself (512-bit GDDR5 5Ghz+) isn't really getting utilized right now as it stands. Some of this could be geometry but, a lot of it could also be texturing. On paper, AMD GPUs have a lot of texturing power (consider the number of TMUs versus nVida,) where nVidia tends to have more pixel pumping power (which is good for more frames, AA and, pixel-level filtering. It's entirely possible that AMD GPUs may handle higher resolution textures better than we anticipate but, considering the lack of benchmarks to use more than 3GB of VRAM, it's really hard to figure out how much those TMUs will actually help.

I see AMD doing the same thing with their GPUs as they did with their CPUs; Trying to plan out long term. More cores (CPUs,) didn't work out well but the question is do the additional TMUs and memory bandwidth help down the road? It's hard to say. Either way, I'm still happy with my 390. No complaints so far other than I wish it overclocked more but, I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into in that respect and I can't say it really bothers me.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
^What's driving the 390 to such numbers is the improved thermal properties, which allowed them to clock the chip higher than the previous model it was used in. It has nothing to do with the mem controller or having 8GB VRAM.

Again, they should have just made it a 4GB or 6GB card and sold it at a lower price. That would make it a confirmed 970 killer on performance AND price.
 

AsRock

TPU addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
18,851 (3.08/day)
Location
UK\USA
Processor AMD 3900X \ AMD 7700X
Motherboard ASRock AM4 X570 Pro 4 \ ASUS X670Xe TUF
Cooling D15
Memory Patriot 2x16GB PVS432G320C6K \ G.Skill Flare X5 F5-6000J3238F 2x16GB
Video Card(s) eVga GTX1060 SSC \ XFX RX 6950XT RX-695XATBD9
Storage Sammy 860, MX500, Sabrent Rocket 4 Sammy Evo 980 \ 1xSabrent Rocket 4+, Sammy 2x990 Pro
Display(s) Samsung 1080P \ LG 43UN700
Case Fractal Design Pop Air 2x140mm fans from Torrent \ Fractal Design Torrent 2 SilverStone FHP141x2
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V677 \ Yamaha CX-830+Yamaha MX-630 Infinity RS4000\Paradigm P Studio 20, Blue Yeti
Power Supply Seasonic Prime TX-750 \ Corsair RM1000X Shift
Mouse Steelseries Sensei wireless \ Steelseries Sensei wireless
Keyboard Logitech K120 \ Wooting Two HE
Benchmark Scores Meh benchmarks.
Sure it would of made it a little cheaper but lets face it a 390 can be had for $330 now, and if they did do a 4GB model that would kill sales on the 290 which i bet they have a bunch to get rid off.
 

tabascosauz

Moderator
Supporter
Staff member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
7,457 (2.33/day)
Location
Western Canada
System Name ab┃ob
Processor 7800X3D┃5800X3D
Motherboard B650E PG-ITX┃B550-I Strix
Cooling PA120+T30┃AXP120x67
Memory 64GB 6000CL30┃32GB 3600CL14
Video Card(s) RTX 4070 Ti Eagle┃RTX A2000
Storage 8TB of SSDs┃1TB SN550
Display(s) 43" QN90B / 32" M32Q / 27" S2721DGF
Case Caselabs S3┃Lone Industries L5
Power Supply Corsair HX1000┃HDPlex
^What's driving the 390 to such numbers is the improved thermal properties, which allowed them to clock the chip higher than the previous model it was used in. It has nothing to do with the mem controller or having 8GB VRAM.

Again, they should have just made it a 4GB or 6GB card and sold it at a lower price. That would make it a confirmed 970 killer on performance AND price.

AMD hasn't changed anything going from Hawaii to Grenada, except perhaps working with voltages at a software level. Manufacturers understand Hawaii a lot better now than they did at launch, and a few are going from dual- to triple-fan coolers, so that accounts for some of the slightly lower temperatures. Nothing has changed with the silicon itself.

I sure wish that one of these cards was a GTX 970 killer, but quite frankly, the green fanboy camp is way too strong. Offer more performance, and people will point to the massively increased power consumption (unavoidable with Grenada due to higher clocks). Offer beefier coolers and people will point out that GB and Asus have 6-inch mini-ITX 970s. It never ends; hardcore Nvidia buyers always find some reason to justify their purchase in the end.
 
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5,650 (1.16/day)
System Name Space Station
Processor Intel 13700K
Motherboard ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
Cooling Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Memory Corsair Vengeance 6400 2x16GB @ CL34
Video Card(s) PNY RTX 4080
Storage SSDs - Nextorage 4TB, Samsung EVO 970 500GB, Plextor M5Pro 128GB, HDDs - WD Black 6TB, 2x 1TB
Display(s) LG C3 OLED 42"
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V371
Power Supply SeaSonic Vertex 1200w Gold
Mouse Razer Basilisk V3
Keyboard Bloody B840-LK
Software Windows 11 Pro 23H2
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top