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 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

✅+168.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 269.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅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 290X

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (8,426 vs 22,651).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
37.6% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅+168.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 269.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅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 PassMark G3D performance (8,426 vs 22,651).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
37.6% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 Ti better than Radeon R9 290X?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,651 vs 8,426 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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?

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013, 168.8% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) 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 4060 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is about $150 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 168.8% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 269.9%. 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 GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 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 4060 Ti Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	177 FPS	103 FPS
medium	162 FPS	89 FPS
high	142 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	90 FPS
medium	118 FPS	79 FPS
high	101 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	93 FPS	28 FPS
medium	79 FPS	27 FPS
high	66 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Open Radeon R9 290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	425 FPS	197 FPS
medium	359 FPS	168 FPS
high	292 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	134 FPS
medium	229 FPS	104 FPS
high	186 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	61 FPS
medium	95 FPS	49 FPS
high	77 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	35 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Open Radeon R9 290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	855 FPS	379 FPS
medium	693 FPS	303 FPS
high	609 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	510 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	660 FPS	284 FPS
medium	527 FPS	228 FPS
high	452 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	447 FPS	190 FPS
medium	355 FPS	152 FPS
high	308 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	95 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Open Radeon R9 290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
1080p
low	775 FPS	155 FPS
medium	639 FPS	128 FPS
high	558 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	613 FPS	110 FPS
medium	503 FPS	91 FPS
high	435 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	66 FPS
medium	322 FPS	52 FPS
high	298 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	31 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Open Radeon R9 290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and Radeon R9 290X

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,651 points. Launch price was $399.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti scores 22,651 versus the Radeon R9 290X's 8,426 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti leads by 168.8%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 2535 MHz vs 947 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
G3D Mark Score	22,651+169%	8,426
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	GCN 2.0
Process Node	5 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4352+55%	2816
Compute (TFLOPS)	22.06 TFLOPS+292%	5.632 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2535 MHz+168%	947 MHz
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	136	176+29%
L1 Cache	4.3 MB+523%	0.69 MB
L2 Cache	32 MB+3100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon R9 290X lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 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 RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	Yes (DLSS 3.5)	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290X has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 11.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 290X. Bus width: 128-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	320 GB/s+11%
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit+300%
L2 Cache	32 MB+3100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
DirectX	12.2+2%	12.0
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
Encoder	8th Gen NVENC	VCE 2.0
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti draws 160W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 74.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 4060 Ti	Radeon R9 290X
TDP	160W-54%	350W
Recommended PSU	550W-27%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	240mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	70°C-26%	95°C
Perf/Watt	141.6+488%	24.1

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti costs 27.3% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 56.8 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti offers 271.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).