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 960

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $601 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 310.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.8 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌24000% longer card at 241mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Measures 1mm instead of 241mm, a 240mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
302% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 960

2015

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $601 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 310.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.8 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Measures 1mm instead of 241mm, a 240mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌24000% longer card at 241mm vs 1mm.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
302% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 30.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 960 better than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,133 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 960 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (100W vs 200W).

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

GeForce GTX 960 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2015 generation instead of 2014 and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce GTX 960 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $199 MSRP. GeForce GTX 960 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 960 is about $601 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 2.2% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $199 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (100W vs 200W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $800 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce GTX 960 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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 960 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	80 FPS	38 FPS
medium	68 FPS	32 FPS
high	57 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	31 FPS
medium	60 FPS	24 FPS
high	44 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	11 FPS
medium	24 FPS	9 FPS
high	16 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	139 FPS	103 FPS
medium	109 FPS	74 FPS
high	88 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	77 FPS	56 FPS
medium	57 FPS	34 FPS
high	42 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	20 FPS
medium	19 FPS	13 FPS
high	16 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	276 FPS	270 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	184 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	202 FPS
medium	166 FPS	162 FPS
high	138 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	135 FPS
medium	110 FPS	108 FPS
high	92 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	168 FPS	118 FPS
medium	139 FPS	92 FPS
high	125 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	72 FPS
medium	99 FPS	52 FPS
high	89 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	38 FPS
medium	55 FPS	27 FPS
high	45 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 960 Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 960 and Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

GeForce GTX 960

The GeForce GTX 960 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 22 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1127 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,133 points. Launch price was $199.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 960 scores 6,133 and the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 960 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	6,133+2%	6,000
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	2560+150%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz+31%	900 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 960 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) vs 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — a 174.3% advantage for the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire. Bus width: 128-bit vs 512-bit (Dual).

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	307.2 GB/s (Dual)+174%
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit (Dual)+300%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	NVENC (5th Gen)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 960 draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 66.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 960 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 960) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 241mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 960	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
TDP	100W-50%	200W
Recommended PSU	400W	350W-13%
Power Connector	6-pin	Mobile
Length	241mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75 C	—
Perf/Watt	61.3+104%	30.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 960 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce GTX 960 costs 75.1% less ($601 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 30.8 (GeForce GTX 960) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 960 offers 310.7% better value. The GeForce GTX 960 is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2014).