GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon R9 M290X

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 680M

2012

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅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.

GeForce GTX 680M

2012

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2012-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

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.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 680M better than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,277 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 680M is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

GeForce GTX 680M 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?

GeForce GTX 680M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 680M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 1.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M290X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R9 M290X make more sense than GeForce GTX 680M?

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X 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 newer architecture and staying closer to $400 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 680M. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 680M currently gives you 1.8% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M290X 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 680M Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	78 FPS	78 FPS
medium	67 FPS	67 FPS
high	53 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	68 FPS	69 FPS
medium	60 FPS	59 FPS
high	42 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	24 FPS
medium	23 FPS	23 FPS
high	15 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	79 FPS	112 FPS
medium	56 FPS	84 FPS
high	43 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	44 FPS	64 FPS
medium	29 FPS	43 FPS
high	21 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	17 FPS	24 FPS
medium	11 FPS	16 FPS
high	9 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	98 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	109 FPS
medium	88 FPS	87 FPS
high	74 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	72 FPS
medium	59 FPS	58 FPS
high	49 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	131 FPS	142 FPS
medium	103 FPS	113 FPS
high	88 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	99 FPS	103 FPS
medium	79 FPS	84 FPS
high	68 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	58 FPS	60 FPS
medium	44 FPS	46 FPS
high	35 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	24 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 680M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 680M and Radeon R9 M290X

GeForce GTX 680M

The GeForce GTX 680M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 719 MHz to 758 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,277 points. Launch price was $310.50.

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 680M scores 3,277 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 2.038 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 758 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,277+2%	3,218
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1344+5%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.038 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+13%
Boost Clock	758 MHz	900 MHz+19%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112+40%	80
L1 Cache	112 KB	320 KB+186%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680M 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 680M	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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.