NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 vs AMD Radeon R9 390X: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the GTX 1080 and the R9 390X with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The GTX 1080 is ~90% faster than the R9 390X on average at 1080p. On top of that, the R9 390X is 28% cheaper (launch price).
GTX 1080
- Index (1080p)
- 36/100
- VRAM
- 8 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $599 · ≈ €551
- $/FPS (value)
- $15.76 · ≈ €14.50
- Upscaling
- FSR
R9 390X
- Index (1080p)
- 19/100
- VRAM
- 8 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $429 · ≈ €395
- $/FPS (value)
- $21.45 · ≈ €19.73
- Upscaling
- FSR
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | GTX 1080 | R9 390X | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 38 | 20 | +90% |
| 1440p | 29 | 13 | +123% |
| 4K | 14 | 5 | +180% |
Which one for your resolution?
GTX 1080 is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 131% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the GTX 1080 and R9 390X: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | GTX 1080 | R9 390X |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | AMD |
| VRAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| TDP | 180W | 275W |
| Tier | High-end | High-end |
| Score 1080p | 36 | 19 |
| Score 1440p | 31 | 14 |
| Score 4K | 19 | 7 |
| Price (MSRP) | $599 | $429 |
| Architecture | Pascal | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | TSMC 28nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 2560 | 2816 |
| RT Cores | — | — |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 160 | 176 |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
| Base Clock | 1607 MHz | 1050 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1733 MHz | 1050 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 8.87 TFLOPS | 5.91 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 10000 MHz | 6000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 512-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 320 GB/s | 384 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Transistor Count | 7.2B | 6.2B |
| Release Date | 2016-05-27 | 2015-06-18 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
GTX 1080
- TDP
- 180W
- FPS/W
- 0.21
R9 390X
- TDP
- 275W
- FPS/W
- 0.07
The GTX 1080 is more efficient: it draws 95W less and delivers more per watt, though the GTX 1080 is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | GTX 1080 | R9 390X | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 42 | 22 | GTX 1080 |
 | 39 | 20 | GTX 1080 |
 | 31 | 16 | GTX 1080 |
 | 33 | 17 | GTX 1080 |
 | 34 | 18 | GTX 1080 |
| 32 | 17 | GTX 1080 | |
 | 40 | 21 | GTX 1080 |
 | 42 | 22 | GTX 1080 |
 | 47 | 25 | GTX 1080 |
 | 37 | 20 | GTX 1080 |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The GTX 1080 comes out ahead by around 90% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the GTX 1080 with the R9 390X.
Which is better, the GTX 1080 or the R9 390X?
On average at 1080p, the GTX 1080 is 90% faster than the R9 390X. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the GTX 1080 averages 14 FPS and the R9 390X 5 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 90% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
1080 vs R9 390X: what's the real difference?
In performance, the GTX 1080 beats the R9 390X by around 90% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 1080 and the R9 390X on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
