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 470

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $51 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌115% higher power demand at 215W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅220% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 215W, a 115W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
14.6% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 470

2010

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $51 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅220% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 215W, a 115W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌115% higher power demand at 215W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
14.6% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 M290X better than GeForce GTX 470?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,145 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon R9 M290X is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling, plus much lower power draw (100W vs 215W).

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

GeForce GTX 470 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

Radeon R9 M290X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 M290X is about 14.6% more expensive on MSRP at $400 MSRP versus $349 MSRP, and you are getting 2.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 470 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 470 make more sense than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes. GeForce GTX 470 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 future-proofing and staying closer to $349 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 M290X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 M290X currently gives you 2.3% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 470 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.

GeForce GTX 470 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	82 FPS	78 FPS
medium	68 FPS	67 FPS
high	47 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	64 FPS	69 FPS
medium	53 FPS	59 FPS
high	33 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	23 FPS	24 FPS
medium	22 FPS	23 FPS
high	13 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 470 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	96 FPS	112 FPS
medium	69 FPS	84 FPS
high	56 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	58 FPS	64 FPS
medium	38 FPS	43 FPS
high	26 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	27 FPS	24 FPS
medium	17 FPS	16 FPS
high	13 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	10 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 470 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	142 FPS	145 FPS
medium	113 FPS	116 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	109 FPS
medium	85 FPS	87 FPS
high	71 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	71 FPS	72 FPS
medium	57 FPS	58 FPS
high	47 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 470 Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	105 FPS	142 FPS
medium	80 FPS	113 FPS
high	70 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	83 FPS	103 FPS
medium	65 FPS	84 FPS
high	58 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	57 FPS	60 FPS
medium	42 FPS	46 FPS
high	33 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 470 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 470 and Radeon R9 M290X

GeForce GTX 470

The GeForce GTX 470 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,145 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon R9 M290X

The Radeon R9 M290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,218 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,145	3,218+2%
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	448	1280+186%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.089 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+112%
ROPs	40+25%	32
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	896 KB+180%	320 KB
L2 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 M290X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
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 470 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M290X offers 220% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 640 KB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 470 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	1.25 GB	4 GB+220%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 73% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	215W	100W-53%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	93	—
Perf/Watt	14.6	32.2+121%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 470 launched at $349 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. The GeForce GTX 470 costs 12.8% less ($51 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 470 offers 12.5% better value. The Radeon R9 M290X is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2010).