Radeon R9 390 vs Radeon RX 470

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon R9 390 scores 8 and the Radeon RX 470 scores 7, which makes the Radeon R9 390 about 14% faster. That is a visible but modest gap, usually 5 to 10 fps in a game that runs at 60.

The Radeon R9 390 has 8 GB of video memory and the Radeon RX 470 has 4 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Cyberpunk 2077 (24 against 15 fps), and the smallest is in Minecraft: Java Edition (145 against 129 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon R9 390 is rated at 275 W and the Radeon RX 470 at 120 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 650 W for the first and 450 W for the second. A gap of 155 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon R9 390 cost $329 and the Radeon RX 470 $179. Per dollar, the Radeon RX 470 gave more performance (3.9 points per $100 against 2.4). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon R9 390 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon RX 470 if the price gap matters more than the 14% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.