AMD Radeon R9 M390X vs NVIDIA TITAN Xp Comparison

The data presents a stark generational clash. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is a mobile-first, power-efficient part from 2015, while the NVIDIA TITAN Xp is a desktop flagship from 2017. The benchmark results confirm a decisive performance gap, with the TITAN Xp dominating the only shared test, but the R9 M390X holds its own in the broader performance percentile rankings due to its specific benchmark profile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single directly comparable benchmark between the two GPUs is the Geekbench Vulkan test, and the result is not close. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp scores an extraordinary 87,180, while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X manages 16,951. This represents a -80.6% delta for the AMD part, meaning the TITAN Xp outperforms the R9 M390X by a factor of more than five in this specific API workload. This is the clearest evidence of the architectural and performance chasm between the two.

However, the picture becomes more nuanced when examining the average benchmark scores across all available tests. The R9 M390X has an average benchmark score of 20,662, which is actually higher than the TITAN Xp's average of 19,177. This counterintuitive result stems from the fact that the two GPUs have been tested in very different benchmark suites. The R9 M390X's scores come from Geekbench Metal (24,373) and Geekbench Vulkan (16,951), while the TITAN Xp's average is dragged down by its Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 scores, which are all below 230. The TITAN Xp's Vulkan score of 87,180 and its OpenCL score of 72,585 are massive outliers on the high end, but its Passmark G2D score of 883 and its DirectX 9 score of 226 are relatively low, pulling its average down.

When placed in the context of all GPUs, the R9 M390X sits at the 66th percentile, while the TITAN Xp is at the 64th percentile. This is a narrow margin, but it indicates that despite the TITAN Xp's raw power in specific tests, the R9 M390X's overall benchmark profile is competitive in the aggregate. The R9 M390X's nearest rivals by average score include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (deltaPct -0.2), the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct 0.4), and the Intel Arc B570 (deltaPct 0.5). The TITAN Xp's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 (deltaPct 0.1), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (deltaPct 0.5), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (deltaPct 0.7). This shows that the R9 M390X is clustered with more modern mid-range desktop cards, while the TITAN Xp is grouped with older, albeit still powerful, desktop parts.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M390X has a higher average benchmark score of 20,662 compared to the NVIDIA TITAN Xp's 19,177.

Q: How does the TITAN Xp compare to the R9 M390X in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN Xp scores 87,180 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 80.6% higher than the R9 M390X's score of 16,951.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each card?

A: The R9 M390X has a memory bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s with a 256-bit bus, while the TITAN Xp offers 547.6 GB/s over a 384-bit bus.

Q: What is the difference in their process nodes?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is built on a 28 nm process, while the NVIDIA TITAN Xp uses a more advanced 16 nm process.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The R9 M390X has a TDP of 75 W, whereas the TITAN Xp has a significantly higher TDP of 250 W.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX version?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN Xp supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X supports DirectX 12 (12_0).

The Verdict

The data shows two very different products. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp is the undisputed performance king in the one shared benchmark, with its 87,180 Vulkan score dwarfing the R9 M390X's 16,951. Its hardware specifications also point to a much more capable compute and rendering engine: 12 GB of GDDR5X memory versus 4 GB of GDDR5, 3840 shading units versus 2048, and a 547.6 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 160.0 GB/s. For any workload that leverages these resources—particularly modern Vulkan or OpenCL applications—the TITAN Xp is the clear choice.

However, the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is not without merit. Its average benchmark score of 20,662 is higher than the TITAN Xp's 19,177, and it achieves a higher percentile ranking (66th vs 64th). This suggests that in the specific set of benchmarks where it was tested (Geekbench Metal and Vulkan), it performs admirably. Its 75 W TDP makes it a far more power-efficient solution, suitable for portable devices, whereas the TITAN Xp's 250 W TDP and dual-slot cooler require a desktop chassis. The R9 M390X is for a user who needs competent performance in a low-power, mobile form factor. The TITAN Xp is for a desktop user who demands maximum raw throughput and does not prioritize power consumption.

Specification Differences

The most significant specification differences are in memory and compute resources. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp features 12 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 547.6 GB/s. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is limited to 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 160.0 GB/s. The TITAN Xp also has substantially more processing units: 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, compared to the R9 M390X's 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The clock speeds also differ, with the TITAN Xp having a base clock of 1405 MHz and a boost clock of 1582 MHz, while the R9 M390X does not list base or boost clocks.

The physical and power profiles are also distinct. The TITAN Xp is a 267 mm dual-slot card requiring a 600 W PSU and 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors. The R9 M390X is an MXM module with a 75 W TDP and no power connectors, making it suitable for laptops. The TITAN Xp also offers discrete display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the R9 M390X's outputs are portable device dependent. Finally, the TITAN Xp has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X uses the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Amethyst chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 5,000 million transistors on a 366 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 13.7M / mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA TITAN Xp uses the Pascal architecture with the GP102 chip, built on a more efficient 16 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 11,800 million transistors on a larger 471 mm² die, achieving a much higher transistor density of 25.1M / mm².

This architectural difference leads to divergent feature sets. The TITAN Xp supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R9 M390X supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The FP32 compute performance is drastically different, with the TITAN Xp delivering 12.15 TFLOPS compared to the R9 M390X's 2.961 TFLOPS. Furthermore, the FP16 capabilities highlight a major divergence: the R9 M390X offers FP16 at a 1:1 ratio to FP32 (2.961 TFLOPS), while the TITAN Xp has a severely reduced FP16 rate of 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64). This indicates that the R9 M390X is tuned for compute tasks that might use FP16, whereas the TITAN Xp is heavily optimized for FP32 workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA TITAN Xp wins decisively in raw graphics performance and memory throughput. Its 547.6 GB/s of bandwidth and 151.9 GPixel/s pixel rate make it ideal for high-resolution gaming and heavy texture workloads. Its massive lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test (87,180 vs 16,951) suggests a particular strength in modern, low-level API games and compute applications. The TITAN Xp is the clear winner for any desktop user seeking maximum frame rates and compute throughput, particularly in Vulkan-based titles.

The AMD Radeon R9 M390X wins in the mobile and efficiency segments. Its 75 W TDP and MXM module form factor make it the only viable option in this comparison for a laptop or portable workstation. Its higher average benchmark score (20,662 vs 19,177) and percentile ranking (66th vs 64th) also suggest that in the specific workloads it was tested for—Geekbench Metal and Vulkan—it performs better than the TITAN Xp does in its own mixed benchmark suite. The R9 M390X is the winner for users who need a capable, power-efficient GPU for a portable device and do not require the extreme performance ceiling of the desktop TITAN Xp.