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.

Radeon Pro Duo

2016

Why buy it

✅30.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 240mm instead of 275mm, a 35mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
355.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 300W.

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 347.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 300W instead of 350W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro Duo across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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.
❌14.6% longer card at 275mm vs 240mm.

Radeon Pro Duo

2016

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015

Why buy it

✅30.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 240mm instead of 275mm, a 35mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,170 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 347.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 300W instead of 350W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
355.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌16.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 300W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro Duo across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 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.
❌14.6% longer card at 275mm vs 240mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon Pro Duo better than Radeon R9 290 / 390?

Yes. Radeon Pro Duo is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 30.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 1.8% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2015, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

Radeon Pro Duo is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2016 generation instead of 2015 and more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB. 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 Pro Duo is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon Pro Duo is about 355.6% more expensive on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 30.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 290 / 390 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 290 / 390 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 290 / 390 is 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 8,150 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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.

Radeon Pro Duo Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 / 390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	120 FPS	80 FPS
medium	103 FPS	69 FPS
high	85 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	97 FPS	70 FPS
medium	81 FPS	61 FPS
high	61 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	43 FPS	25 FPS
medium	37 FPS	24 FPS
high	26 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon Pro Duo Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	243 FPS	182 FPS
medium	207 FPS	154 FPS
high	165 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	175 FPS	130 FPS
medium	147 FPS	102 FPS
high	123 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	98 FPS	59 FPS
medium	83 FPS	48 FPS
high	69 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	35 FPS

Open Radeon Pro Duo Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	299 FPS	293 FPS
high	249 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	280 FPS	275 FPS
medium	224 FPS	220 FPS
high	187 FPS	183 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	183 FPS
medium	149 FPS	147 FPS
high	124 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	92 FPS

Open Radeon Pro Duo Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
1080p
low	237 FPS	151 FPS
medium	206 FPS	124 FPS
high	171 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	180 FPS	109 FPS
medium	160 FPS	90 FPS
high	128 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	104 FPS	64 FPS
medium	87 FPS	50 FPS
high	70 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	29 FPS

Open Radeon Pro Duo Open Radeon R9 290 / 390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon Pro Duo and Radeon R9 290 / 390

Radeon Pro Duo

The Radeon Pro Duo is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 26 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 4096 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,299 points. Launch price was $1,499.

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 Radeon Pro Duo scores 8,299 and the Radeon R9 290 / 390 reaches 8,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro Duo is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 4,096 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Raw compute: 8.192 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
G3D Mark Score	8,299+2%	8,150
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4096 ×2+60%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.192 TFLOPS ×2+60%	5.12 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1000 MHz
ROPs	64 ×2	64
TMUs	256 ×2+60%	160
L1 Cache	1 MB+59%	0.63 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon Pro Duo comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 has 4 GB. The Radeon Pro Duo offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon Pro Duo has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon Pro Duo) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390).

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro Duo draws 350W versus the Radeon R9 290 / 390's 300W — a 15.4% difference. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290 / 390
TDP	350W	300W-14%
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	240mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	23.7	27.2+15%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon Pro Duo launched at $1499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 launched at $329. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 costs 78.1% less ($1170 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 24.8 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers 350.9% better value. The Radeon Pro Duo is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).