AMD Radeon R9 390
AMD Radeon R9 390: A Budget Veteran in the Era of New Technologies
(Relevant as of April 2025)
Introduction
The AMD Radeon R9 390, released in 2015, has become a legend among gamers due to its high performance and 8 GB of memory. However, a decade later, its position has changed. In 2025, this model is viewed as a relic but can still find application in certain scenarios. Let's explore who it might be suitable for today and what compromises will need to be accepted.
1. Architecture and Key Features
Architecture: The R9 390 is based on the GCN (Graphics Core Next) 1.1 microarchitecture, codenamed Hawaii Pro. This is the third generation of GCN, optimized for parallel computing and multithreading.
Manufacturing Process: 28 nm — by modern standards, this is a giant step backward. For comparison, modern AMD (RDNA 4) and NVIDIA (Ada Lovelace) GPUs use 5–7 nm manufacturing processes, offering better energy efficiency and transistor density.
Unique Features:
- Mantle API — the predecessor to Vulkan and DirectX 12, which accelerates rendering in games.
- TrueAudio — audio processing technology, though by 2025 it has lost relevance.
- Freesync — support for adaptive sync remains a plus for owners of compatible monitors.
Missing Technologies:
- Ray Tracing — not supported on hardware.
- Upscaling (analogous to FSR/DLSS) — only available through third-party modifications (e.g., Lossless Scaling on Steam).
2. Memory: Volume vs. Speed
Type and Capacity: 8 GB GDDR5 — an impressive figure for 2015. However, GDDR5 is significantly slower than modern standards:
- Bandwidth: 384 GB/s (512-bit bus width, effective frequency of 6 GHz).
- Comparison: GDDR6X (RTX 4080) achieves 1 TB/s, while HBM3 (Radeon Pro W7800) reaches 3.2 TB/s.
Impact on Performance:
- In older games (2015–2020), 8 GB is sufficient for high-resolution textures.
- In modern titles (2023–2025), while the volume is adequate, the low memory speed causes FPS drops, especially at 1440p and 4K.
3. Gaming Performance: What Can Run in 2025?
1080p (Low/Medium):
- Cyberpunk 2077: ~25–30 FPS (no ray tracing, with FSR 2.0 through mods).
- Apex Legends: ~60–70 FPS (Medium settings).
- The Witcher 3 (Next-Gen Update): ~35–40 FPS (lowered detail).
1440p and 4K:
- Fortnite: 1440p/Medium — 40–50 FPS, 4K — not recommended.
- Indie Projects (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley) — stable 60+ FPS.
Ray Tracing: Not supported. Attempts to emulate through drivers lead to FPS drops below 10.
Tip: Use FSR 3.0 mods (e.g., via Lossless Scaling) for a 20–30% FPS boost.
4. Professional Tasks: Limited Capabilities
- Video Editing: In Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, the R9 390 can handle 1080p rendering, but 4K will take minutes instead of seconds (lack of AV1 hardware encoding).
- 3D Modeling: Blender and Maya work, but GPU rendering (Cycles, OpenCL) is 3–5 times slower than with a modern Radeon RX 7600.
- Scientific Computing: OpenCL 1.2 support is outdated for most modern AI algorithms and simulations.
5. Power Consumption and Heat Output
- TDP: 275 W — similar to the RTX 4070, but with half the performance.
- Cooling Recommendations:
- Minimum 2–3 case fans (intake in front, exhaust in the back and top).
- Replace thermal paste every 2 years (overheating is a common issue with older units).
- Cases: Full-Tower or Mid-Tower with good ventilation. Compact builds may experience throttling.
6. Comparison with Competitors
2015 Analogues:
- NVIDIA GTX 980 (4 GB GDDR5): Loses in memory capacity but wins in energy efficiency.
Modern Budget Alternatives (2025):
- AMD Radeon RX 7600 ($269): 8 GB GDDR6, supports FSR 3.1, has RT cores, consumes 165 W.
- NVIDIA RTX 3050 8GB ($199): DLSS 3.5, ray tracing, 130 W TDP.
Conclusion: The R9 390 falls short compared to even budget newcomers but can serve as a free alternative when upgrading an old PC.
7. Practical Tips
- Power Supply: At least 600 W (recommended 80+ Bronze or higher).
- Compatibility:
- Platform: Requires a motherboard with PCIe 3.0 x16 (compatible with PCIe 4.0/5.0 but no speed boost).
- Drivers: Official AMD support ended in 2022. Use third-party modifications (e.g., Amernime Zone) for compatibility with Windows 11.
- Optimization: Disable background applications and overclock the GPU using MSI Afterburner (+10% to core and memory frequencies).
8. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- High memory capacity for older projects.
- Support for Freesync and DirectX 12.
- Low cost in the second-hand market (though not relevant for new devices).
Cons:
- No ray tracing or hardware upscaling.
- High power consumption.
- Limited driver support.
9. Final Conclusion: Who is the R9 390 Suitable For in 2025?
This graphics card is suitable for:
1. Retro game enthusiasts building PCs for 2010s projects.
2. Owners of old systems where an upgrade to a modern GPU is impossible due to lack of PCIe 4.0 or a weak CPU.
3. Budget builds with second-hand components (e.g., Core i7-4770 + 16 GB DDR3).
However, for comfortable gaming in 2025's new releases, consider the Radeon RX 7600 or GeForce RTX 3050. The R9 390 remains a niche solution, reminding us of how rapidly technology evolves.
Price: New R9 390 units have not been produced since 2018. In 2025, the card is only of interest as a used option or a collectible artifact.