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 R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 252% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 275W instead of 500W, a 225W reduction.
✅Measures 275mm instead of 307mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 295X2 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

✅22.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
275.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 500W vs 275W.
❌11.6% longer card at 307mm vs 275mm.

Radeon R9 290

2013

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 252% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 275W instead of 500W, a 225W reduction.
✅Measures 275mm instead of 307mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Why buy it

✅22.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 295X2 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
275.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 500W vs 275W.
❌11.6% longer card at 307mm vs 275mm.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 295X2 better than Radeon R9 290?

Yes. Radeon R9 295X2 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 22.4% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data, 6.7% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2014 instead of 2013, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

Radeon R9 290 is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

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

Radeon R9 295X2 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 295X2 is about 275.7% more expensive on MSRP at $1,499 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 22.4% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 6.7% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 290 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R9 290 make more sense than Radeon R9 295X2?

Yes. Radeon R9 290 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 (275W vs 500W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $399 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 295X2. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 295X2 currently gives you 6.7% higher G3D Mark and 22.4% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon R9 290 still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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 R9 290 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 295X2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low	83 FPS	105 FPS
medium	71 FPS	89 FPS
high	59 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	89 FPS
medium	64 FPS	75 FPS
high	47 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	36 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	36 FPS
medium	25 FPS	32 FPS
high	17 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	17 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon R9 295X2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low	185 FPS	193 FPS
medium	156 FPS	169 FPS
high	129 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	137 FPS
medium	103 FPS	111 FPS
high	83 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	63 FPS
medium	49 FPS	53 FPS
high	44 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	39 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon R9 295X2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low	368 FPS	393 FPS
medium	295 FPS	314 FPS
high	246 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	197 FPS
1440p
low	276 FPS	295 FPS
medium	221 FPS	236 FPS
high	184 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	184 FPS	197 FPS
medium	147 FPS	157 FPS
high	123 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	98 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon R9 295X2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
1080p
low	152 FPS	240 FPS
medium	123 FPS	207 FPS
high	105 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	143 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	179 FPS
medium	90 FPS	155 FPS
high	78 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	98 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	103 FPS
medium	49 FPS	82 FPS
high	39 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	50 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon R9 295X2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 290 and Radeon R9 295X2

Radeon R9 290

The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon R9 290 scores 8,184 versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 8,734 — the Radeon R9 295X2 leads by 6.7%. The Radeon R9 290 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 295X2 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2). Raw compute: 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290) vs 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
G3D Mark Score	8,184	8,734+7%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560	2816 ×2+10%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.849 TFLOPS	5.733 TFLOPS ×2+18%
ROPs	64	64 ×2
TMUs	160	176 ×2+10%
L1 Cache	640 KB	704 KB+10%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
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 R9 290 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 295X2 has 8 GB. The Radeon R9 295X2 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) vs 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) — a 900.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Bus width: 512-bit vs 512-bit x2.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	320 GB/s x2
Bus Width	512-bit	512-bit x2
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.2+9%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+7%	4.3
Max Displays	6	6

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 draws 275W versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 500W — a 58.1% difference. The Radeon R9 290 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290) vs 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 307mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 65°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
TDP	275W-45%	500W
Recommended PSU	750W-25%	1000W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	275mm	307mm
Height	109mm	114mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	65°C-32%
Perf/Watt	29.8+70%	17.5

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 290 launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499. The Radeon R9 290 costs 73.4% less ($1100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) vs 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) — the Radeon R9 290 offers 253.4% better value. The Radeon R9 295X2 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).