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 RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅41.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 132.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
60.2% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅41.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 132.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
60.2% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than Radeon R9 290?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM averages 41.9% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 8,184 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 290 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?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013, 45.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is about $150 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 41.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 45.3% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 132.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 290 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 $399 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 OEM 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.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	130 FPS	83 FPS
medium	113 FPS	71 FPS
high	99 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	72 FPS
medium	96 FPS	64 FPS
high	81 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	26 FPS
medium	57 FPS	25 FPS
high	39 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	239 FPS	185 FPS
medium	206 FPS	156 FPS
high	164 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	132 FPS
medium	135 FPS	103 FPS
high	112 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	60 FPS
medium	74 FPS	49 FPS
high	62 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	535 FPS	368 FPS
medium	428 FPS	295 FPS
high	357 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	276 FPS
medium	321 FPS	221 FPS
high	268 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	184 FPS
medium	214 FPS	147 FPS
high	178 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	92 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	467 FPS	152 FPS
medium	414 FPS	123 FPS
high	335 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	372 FPS	110 FPS
medium	321 FPS	90 FPS
high	236 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	64 FPS
medium	175 FPS	49 FPS
high	150 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	28 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Open Radeon R9 290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and Radeon R9 290

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 11,892 versus the Radeon R9 290's 8,184 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 45.3%. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 290 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290). Raw compute: 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
G3D Mark Score	11,892+45%	8,184
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.986 TFLOPS+85%	4.849 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	80	160+100%
L1 Cache	2.5 MB+297%	0.63 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 290 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 3050 OEM comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) — a 42.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 290. Bus width: 128-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	320 GB/s+43%
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
DirectX	12.2+2%	12.0
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	VCE 2.0
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM draws 130W versus the Radeon R9 290's 275W — a 71.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 235mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM	Radeon R9 290
TDP	130W-53%	275W
Recommended PSU	450W-40%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	235mm	275mm
Height	124mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	91.5+207%	29.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290 launched at $399. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM costs 37.6% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) vs 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 133.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2013).