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 W6400

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 50W instead of 350W, a 300W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 275mm, a 107mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅31.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
139.7% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌600% higher power demand at 350W vs 50W.
❌63.7% longer card at 275mm vs 168mm.

Radeon PRO W6400

2022

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 139.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 36.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 50W instead of 350W, a 300W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 275mm, a 107mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅31.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
139.7% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 36.8 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌600% higher power demand at 350W vs 50W.
❌63.7% longer card at 275mm vs 168mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon PRO W6400 better than Radeon R9 290X?

Yes. Radeon PRO W6400 is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon R9 290X averages 31.5% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 8,428 vs 8,426 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon PRO W6400 is a 2022 card with FSR upscaling, while Radeon R9 290X is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

Radeon PRO W6400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 6nm process instead of 28nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

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

Radeon PRO W6400 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon PRO W6400 is about $320 cheaper on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting lower estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 139.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 290X is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $549 MSRP, even if Radeon PRO W6400 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 W6400 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	107 FPS	80 FPS
medium	95 FPS	69 FPS
high	81 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	70 FPS
medium	80 FPS	61 FPS
high	67 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	45 FPS	25 FPS
medium	42 FPS	24 FPS
high	31 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon PRO W6400 Open Radeon R9 290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	165 FPS	183 FPS
medium	130 FPS	157 FPS
high	97 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	108 FPS	127 FPS
medium	85 FPS	100 FPS
high	64 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	56 FPS	59 FPS
medium	44 FPS	48 FPS
high	35 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	35 FPS

Open Radeon PRO W6400 Open Radeon R9 290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	333 FPS	379 FPS
medium	292 FPS	303 FPS
high	212 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	284 FPS
medium	211 FPS	228 FPS
high	158 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	190 FPS
medium	124 FPS	152 FPS
high	85 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	95 FPS

Open Radeon PRO W6400 Open Radeon R9 290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	285 FPS	155 FPS
medium	206 FPS	128 FPS
high	180 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	210 FPS	110 FPS
medium	149 FPS	91 FPS
high	132 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	105 FPS	66 FPS
medium	76 FPS	52 FPS
high	67 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	31 FPS

Open Radeon PRO W6400 Open Radeon R9 290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon PRO W6400 and Radeon R9 290X

Radeon PRO W6400

The Radeon PRO W6400 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 19 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2331 MHz to 2331 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 12 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,428 points.

Radeon R9 290X

The Radeon R9 290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 24 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,426 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon PRO W6400 scores 8,428 and the Radeon R9 290X reaches 8,426 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon PRO W6400 is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon PRO W6400) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 3.58 TFLOPS (Radeon PRO W6400) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 2331 MHz vs 947 MHz.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
G3D Mark Score	8,428	8,426
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	768	2816+267%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.58 TFLOPS	5.632 TFLOPS+57%
Boost Clock	2331 MHz+146%	947 MHz
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	48	176+267%
L1 Cache	256 KB	704 KB+175%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: 256-bit vs 512-bit.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit	512-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (Radeon PRO W6400) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
DirectX	12.2+2%	12.0
Vulkan	1.2+9%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	6+200%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 3.0 (Radeon PRO W6400) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: VCN 3.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (Radeon PRO W6400) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
Encoder	VCN 3.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	VCN 3.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon PRO W6400 draws 50W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 150% difference. The Radeon PRO W6400 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon PRO W6400) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 168mm vs 275mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 95°C.

Feature	Radeon PRO W6400	Radeon R9 290X
TDP	50W-86%	350W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	168mm	275mm
Height	69mm	109mm
Slots	1-50%	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-26%	95°C
Perf/Watt	168.6+600%	24.1

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon PRO W6400 launched at $229 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. The Radeon PRO W6400 costs 58.3% less ($320 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 36.8 (Radeon PRO W6400) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the Radeon PRO W6400 offers 140.5% better value. The Radeon PRO W6400 is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2013).