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 TITAN Z

2014

Why buy it

✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 12 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
446.3% HIGHER MSRP
$2,999 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.9 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,450 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 422.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.3 vs 2.9 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 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.

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

2014

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,450 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 422.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.3 vs 2.9 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 12 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
446.3% HIGHER MSRP
$2,999 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.9 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 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.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX TITAN Z better than Radeon R9 290X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 8,811 vs 8,426 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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?

GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX TITAN Z is about 446.3% more expensive on MSRP at $2,999 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 4.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 290X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 290X is 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 8,426 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.

GeForce GTX TITAN Z Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	118 FPS	103 FPS
medium	101 FPS	89 FPS
high	86 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	90 FPS
medium	81 FPS	79 FPS
high	62 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	38 FPS	28 FPS
medium	34 FPS	27 FPS
high	21 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX TITAN Z Open Radeon R9 290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	129 FPS	197 FPS
medium	107 FPS	168 FPS
high	89 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	134 FPS
medium	66 FPS	104 FPS
high	52 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	41 FPS	61 FPS
medium	33 FPS	49 FPS
high	30 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	35 FPS

Open GeForce GTX TITAN Z Open Radeon R9 290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	396 FPS	379 FPS
medium	317 FPS	303 FPS
high	264 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	297 FPS	284 FPS
medium	238 FPS	228 FPS
high	198 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	149 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	198 FPS	190 FPS
medium	159 FPS	152 FPS
high	132 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	95 FPS

Open GeForce GTX TITAN Z Open Radeon R9 290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	271 FPS	155 FPS
medium	232 FPS	128 FPS
high	193 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	200 FPS	110 FPS
medium	174 FPS	91 FPS
high	139 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	112 FPS	66 FPS
medium	89 FPS	52 FPS
high	73 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	31 FPS

Open GeForce GTX TITAN Z Open Radeon R9 290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX TITAN Z and Radeon R9 290X

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 28 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 705 MHz to 876 MHz. It has 5760 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,811 points. Launch price was $2,999.

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 GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 8,811 and the Radeon R9 290X reaches 8,426 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 5,760 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 5.046 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 876 MHz vs 947 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
G3D Mark Score	8,811+5%	8,426
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5760 ×2+105%	2816
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.046 TFLOPS ×2	5.632 TFLOPS+12%
Boost Clock	876 MHz	947 MHz+8%
ROPs	48 ×2	64+33%
TMUs	240 ×2+36%	176
L1 Cache	240 KB	704 KB+193%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+50%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
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)

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290X has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 950.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. Bus width: 384-bit x2 vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce GTX TITAN Z has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+200%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s x2+5%	320 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit x2	512-bit+33%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+50%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
DirectX	12	12.0
Vulkan	1.0	1.1+10%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: NVDEC 1st gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
Encoder	NVENC 1st gen	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC 1st gen	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z draws 375W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 6.9% difference. The Radeon R9 290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 700W (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 275mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX TITAN Z	Radeon R9 290X
TDP	375W	350W-7%
Recommended PSU	700W-7%	750W
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	267mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	3	2-33%
Temp (Load)	80°C-16%	95°C
Perf/Watt	23.5	24.1+3%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z launched at $2999 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. The Radeon R9 290X costs 81.7% less ($2450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.9 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the Radeon R9 290X offers 427.6% better value. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).