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PowerColor PCS+ Radeon R9 390 8GB GDDR5 Review: Design, Cooling and Connectivity

By Freedom251 Team · · 3 min read

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The PowerColor PCS+ Radeon R9 390 8GB GDDR5 (model AXR9 390 8GBD5-PPDHE) is a large, factory-clocked Hawaii-based graphics card from 2015. Its defining traits are 8GB of GDDR5 on a 512-bit bus, a 1010MHz GPU clock, a triple-slot three-fan cooler, and one 6-pin plus one 8-pin PCIe power connection. This page focuses on the card’s physical design, requirements and display outputs rather than modern performance or availability.

Core specifications

HotHardware identifies the reviewed board as PowerColor’s AXR9 390 8GBD5-PPDHE. It uses AMD’s Hawaii GPU with 2,560 stream processors. The GPU is specified at 1,010MHz, while its 8GB of GDDR5 runs at 1,500MHz over a 512-bit memory interface. The review describes that memory rate as an effective 6.0Gbps.

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Specification Reported value
GPU AMD Hawaii
Stream processors 2,560
GPU clock 1,010MHz
Memory 8GB GDDR5
Memory clock 1,500MHz (6.0Gbps effective, as reported)
Memory interface 512-bit

These are the historical specifications reported in the 2015 HotHardware review and should not be read as a statement about current driver support or performance.

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Cooling and card size

Triple-slot cooler

PowerColor fits the PCS+ R9 390 with a bulky cooler that occupies three slots in practice. HotHardware describes three fans, a large fin array and heat pipes. The review says the design controls temperatures effectively, but it is not silent when the GPU is under load.

#1 Best Overall
MSI R9 390 GAMING 8G Graphics Cards R9 390 GAMING 8G
  • AMD Radeon R9 390 GPU
  • 8GB 512-bit GDDR5 VRAM
  • DisplayPort, 2 DL-DVI-D and HDMI
  • CrossFire ready
  • DirectX 12

Dimensions and hardware details

HEXUS lists the card at 305mm long and specifies three 80mm fans, four heatpipes and a rear plate. That length and the three-slot footprint make case clearance and adjacent expansion slots important checks before installation.

  • Confirm at least 305mm of usable graphics-card length, allowing additional room for power cables and front fans.
  • Reserve three expansion slots rather than assuming a two-slot installation.
  • Expect audible fan noise during sustained load; the cooling system prioritizes temperature control over silent operation.

Power requirements

The board uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCIe power connector. HotHardware relays PowerColor’s recommendation for a 750W minimum system power supply. That figure is a general manufacturer recommendation from the 2015 review, not a calculation for every processor, drive configuration or power-supply model.

Rank #2
PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12GB GDDR6
  • Power Connector: Two 8-pin PCI Express Power Connector
  • Minimum System Power: 750W
  • Internal Card Length: 340mm
  • Card Dimensions: 340*132*69mm
  • Display Connectors: 1 x HDMI 2.1b , 3 x DisplayPort 2.1a
  1. Check that the power supply has separate, correctly rated PCIe leads for one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector.
  2. Verify the case and motherboard can accommodate the card’s three-slot cooler before routing the cables.
  3. Use the 750W recommendation as a baseline for system planning, then account for the rest of the build and the PSU’s condition.

Display outputs and HDMI limitation

The rear I/O panel provides two DVI ports, one HDMI port and one full-size DisplayPort connection.

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Output Count
DVI 2
HDMI 1
Full-size DisplayPort 1

HEXUS notes that the older HDMI connection does not provide 4K at 60Hz on a newer television. For a 4K60 display, the card’s full-size DisplayPort output is the relevant connection to investigate; compatibility still depends on the display, cable and adapter path.

Rank #3
PowerColor AMD Radeon 550 2GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
  • Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
  • Stream Processor: 512 Units
  • Engine Clock: BOOST up to 1071 MHz
  • Memory Clock: 1500 MHz (6.0 Gbps)
  • Memory Interface: 64 bit

Quiet and standard BIOS positions

HEXUS reports quiet and standard BIOS positions on the card, with frequencies unchanged between the two modes. The switch therefore changes the operating profile rather than the published GPU or memory clocks. Even in the quiet position, the large cooler should not be assumed to be inaudible under load.

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What this page establishes—and what it does not

This 2015 review establishes the model’s historical specifications, physical design, connector requirements and output selection. It does not establish present-day stock, used-market pricing, current game performance, modern driver support or value against newer GPUs. The exact card was linked to an Amazon product page in HotHardware’s specification table, but current listing availability is not established.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
MSI R9 390 GAMING 8G Graphics Cards R9 390 GAMING 8G
MSI R9 390 GAMING 8G Graphics Cards R9 390 GAMING 8G
AMD Radeon R9 390 GPU; 8GB 512-bit GDDR5 VRAM; DisplayPort, 2 DL-DVI-D and HDMI; CrossFire ready
$389.00
Bestseller No. 2
PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12GB GDDR6
PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12GB GDDR6
Power Connector: Two 8-pin PCI Express Power Connector; Minimum System Power: 750W; Internal Card Length: 340mm
$620.72
Bestseller No. 3
PowerColor AMD Radeon 550 2GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
PowerColor AMD Radeon 550 2GB GDDR5 Graphics Card
Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5; Stream Processor: 512 Units; Engine Clock: BOOST up to 1071 MHz; Memory Clock: 1500 MHz (6.0 Gbps)
Bestseller No. 4
PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 4GB GDDR6 Memory
PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 4GB GDDR6 Memory
Memory Speed:18.0 Gbps.Digital Max Resolution:7680×4320; Country Of Origin : China; Stream Processor: 1024
$299.00
Bestseller No. 5
PowerColor TurboDuo R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 OC Graphics Cards AXR7 270X 2GBD5-TDHE/OC
PowerColor TurboDuo R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 OC Graphics Cards AXR7 270X 2GBD5-TDHE/OC
1280 Stream Processors; 2GB 256-Bit GDDR5; PCI Express 3.0
$127.31
Best Value
Rank #4
PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 4GB GDDR6 Memory
  • Memory Speed:18.0 Gbps.Digital Max Resolution:7680×4320
  • Country Of Origin : China
  • Stream Processor: 1024
  • Game Clock: 2650Mhz
  • Boost Clock: 2820Mhz

Installation checklist

  • Identify the exact model: AXR9 390 8GBD5-PPDHE.
  • Measure for a 305mm-long, three-slot card.
  • Check for one 6-pin and one 8-pin PCIe power connector.
  • Use the 750W minimum recommendation as a system-planning reference, not a guarantee for every build.
  • Choose DisplayPort rather than the card’s older HDMI connection when a 4K display must run at 60Hz, subject to the display chain’s compatibility.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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