G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

Why buy it

✅7.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 250W instead of 300W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
51.7% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.9 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 55.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌20% higher power demand at 300W vs 250W.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015

Why buy it

✅7.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 250W instead of 300W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 55.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
51.7% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.9 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌20% higher power demand at 300W vs 250W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 290 / 390 better than GeForce GTX 780?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. GeForce GTX 780 averages 7.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,957 vs 8,150 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 780 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon R9 290 / 390 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $329 MSRP. Radeon R9 290 / 390 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon R9 290 / 390 is about $170 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.4% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 780 is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about lower power draw (250W vs 300W) and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 780 make more sense than Radeon R9 290 / 390?

Yes. GeForce GTX 780 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is lower power draw (250W vs 300W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $499 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 290 / 390. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 290 / 390 currently gives you 2.4% higher G3D Mark and lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 55.4%.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 780 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 / 390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	78 FPS	80 FPS
medium	67 FPS	69 FPS
high	54 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	70 FPS
medium	60 FPS	61 FPS
high	43 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	25 FPS
medium	24 FPS	24 FPS
high	16 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	181 FPS	182 FPS
medium	152 FPS	154 FPS
high	115 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	123 FPS	130 FPS
medium	92 FPS	102 FPS
high	68 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	53 FPS	59 FPS
medium	42 FPS	48 FPS
high	36 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	35 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	358 FPS	367 FPS
medium	286 FPS	293 FPS
high	239 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	275 FPS
medium	215 FPS	220 FPS
high	179 FPS	183 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	183 FPS
medium	143 FPS	147 FPS
high	119 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	92 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	214 FPS	151 FPS
medium	179 FPS	124 FPS
high	143 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	166 FPS	109 FPS
medium	141 FPS	90 FPS
high	109 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	64 FPS
medium	73 FPS	50 FPS
high	58 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	29 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 780 Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 780 and Radeon R9 290 / 390

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

Radeon R9 290 / 390

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,150 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 and the Radeon R9 290 / 390 reaches 8,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
G3D Mark Score	7,957	8,150+2%
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2304	2560+11%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.156 TFLOPS	5.12 TFLOPS+23%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1000 MHz+11%
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	192+20%	160
L1 Cache	192 KB	640 KB+233%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+50%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 780 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 780 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 780 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — a 11.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 290 / 390. Bus width: 384-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the GeForce GTX 780 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	320 GB/s+11%
Bus Width	384-bit	512-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+50%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12.0
Vulkan	1.0	1.2+20%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390).

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Encoder	NVENC 1st Gen	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC 1st Gen	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the Radeon R9 290 / 390's 300W — a 18.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 780 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 780	Radeon R9 290 / 390
TDP	250W-17%	300W
Recommended PSU	600W-20%	750W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	267mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80-16%	95°C
Perf/Watt	31.8+17%	27.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 780 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 launched at $329. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 costs 34.1% less ($170 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.9 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 24.8 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers 56% better value. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2013).