GeForce GTX 965M vs Radeon R9 M390X
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon R9 M390X and GeForce GTX 965M, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
GTX 965M outperforms R9 M390X by a small 6% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 473 | 457 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Power efficiency | 8.59 | 13.64 |
| Architecture | GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) | Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) |
| GPU code name | Amethyst | GM206S |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Release date | 5 May 2015 (9 years ago) | 2016 (9 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 2048 | 1024 |
| Core clock speed | 723 MHz | 944 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | no data | 1150 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 5,000 million | 2,940 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | unknown |
| Texture fill rate | 92.54 | 73.60 |
| Floating-point processing power | 2.961 TFLOPS | 2.355 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 128 | 64 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Laptop size | large | large |
| Bus support | PCIe 3.0 | PCI Express 3.0 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | MXM-A (3.0) |
| Supplementary power connectors | None | None |
| SLI options | - | + |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 4 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory bus width | 256 Bit | 128 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | no data | 2500 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 160.0 GB/s | 80 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | No outputs | Portable Device Dependent |
| Eyefinity | + | - |
| VGA аnalog display support | no data | + |
| DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support | no data | + |
| HDMI | - | + |
| G-SYNC support | - | + |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| FreeSync | + | - |
| HD3D | + | - |
| PowerTune | + | - |
| DualGraphics | + | - |
| ZeroCore | + | - |
| Switchable graphics | + | - |
| GameStream | - | + |
| GeForce ShadowPlay | - | + |
| GPU Boost | no data | 2.0 |
| GameWorks | - | + |
| H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder | - | + |
| Optimus | - | + |
| BatteryBoost | - | + |
| Ansel | - | + |
API compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | DirectX® 12 | 12 (12_1) |
| Shader Model | 6.3 | 6.7 |
| OpenGL | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| OpenCL | Not Listed | 1.1 |
| Vulkan | + | 1.3 |
| Mantle | + | - |
| CUDA | - | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 40−45
−12.5%
| 45
+12.5%
|
| 1440p | 24−27
−8.3%
| 26
+8.3%
|
| 4K | 18−21
−22.2%
| 22
+22.2%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
−5.6%
|
18−20
+5.6%
|
| Elden Ring | 27−30
−3.7%
|
27−30
+3.7%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 30−33
−20%
|
36
+20%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
−5.6%
|
18−20
+5.6%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 35−40
−5.4%
|
35−40
+5.4%
|
| Metro Exodus | 24−27
−52%
|
38
+52%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 24−27
−80%
|
45
+80%
|
| Valorant | 30−35
−8.8%
|
35−40
+8.8%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 30−33
−33.3%
|
40
+33.3%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
−5.6%
|
18−20
+5.6%
|
| Dota 2 | 30−35
+17.9%
|
28
−17.9%
|
| Elden Ring | 27−30
−3.7%
|
27−30
+3.7%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 35−40
−5.1%
|
40−45
+5.1%
|
| Fortnite | 55−60
−7.3%
|
59
+7.3%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 35−40
−5.4%
|
35−40
+5.4%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 30−35
−6.1%
|
35−40
+6.1%
|
| Metro Exodus | 24−27
+8.7%
|
23
−8.7%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 70−75
+78%
|
41
−78%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 24−27
−4%
|
24−27
+4%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 27−30
−17.9%
|
33
+17.9%
|
| Valorant | 30−35
−8.8%
|
35−40
+8.8%
|
| World of Tanks | 130−140
−4.4%
|
140−150
+4.4%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 30−33
+57.9%
|
19
−57.9%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 18−20
−5.6%
|
18−20
+5.6%
|
| Dota 2 | 30−35
−133%
|
77
+133%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 35−40
−25.6%
|
49
+25.6%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 35−40
−5.4%
|
35−40
+5.4%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 70−75
+217%
|
23
−217%
|
| Valorant | 30−35
−8.8%
|
35−40
+8.8%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Dota 2 | 10−12
−9.1%
|
12−14
+9.1%
|
| Elden Ring | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 12−14
−8.3%
|
12−14
+8.3%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 45−50
−4.4%
|
45−50
+4.4%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 8−9
+0%
|
8−9
+0%
|
| World of Tanks | 65−70
−6%
|
70−75
+6%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 18−20
−5.6%
|
18−20
+5.6%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 10−11
+0%
|
10−11
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 7−8
+0%
|
7−8
+0%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 20−22
−5%
|
21−24
+5%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 20−22
−10%
|
21−24
+10%
|
| Metro Exodus | 16−18
−11.8%
|
18−20
+11.8%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 10−12
−9.1%
|
12−14
+9.1%
|
| Valorant | 21−24
−8.7%
|
24−27
+8.7%
|
4K
High Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
| Dota 2 | 20−22
+0%
|
20−22
+0%
|
| Elden Ring | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 18−20
−5.3%
|
20−22
+5.3%
|
| Metro Exodus | 5−6
+0%
|
5−6
+0%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 27−30
−7.4%
|
27−30
+7.4%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 18−20
−5.3%
|
20−22
+5.3%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 8−9
−12.5%
|
9−10
+12.5%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 2−3
−50%
|
3−4
+50%
|
| Dota 2 | 20−22
−120%
|
44
+120%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 10−12
−9.1%
|
12−14
+9.1%
|
| Fortnite | 10−11
+0%
|
10−11
+0%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 10−12
−9.1%
|
12−14
+9.1%
|
| Valorant | 9−10
−11.1%
|
10−11
+11.1%
|
This is how R9 M390X and GTX 965M compete in popular games:
- GTX 965M is 13% faster in 1080p
- GTX 965M is 8% faster in 1440p
- GTX 965M is 22% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the R9 M390X is 217% faster.
- in Dota 2, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 965M is 133% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- R9 M390X is ahead in 5 tests (8%)
- GTX 965M is ahead in 44 tests (70%)
- there's a draw in 14 tests (22%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 9.36 | 9.91 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 4 GB | 2 GB |
R9 M390X has a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.
GTX 965M, on the other hand, has a 5.9% higher aggregate performance score.
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Radeon R9 M390X and GeForce GTX 965M.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
