Radeon 660M 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.

Radeon 660M

2023

Why buy it

✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

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.
❌150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Radeon 660M

2023

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌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.
❌150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon 660M better than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes. Radeon 660M is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 3,221 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon 660M is a 2023 card with FSR upscaling, while Radeon R9 M290X is a 2014 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?

Radeon 660M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 6nm process instead of 28nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

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

Radeon 660M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon 660M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 0.1% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M290X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 M290X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M290X is 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 3,218 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.

Radeon 660M Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	36 FPS	78 FPS
medium	24 FPS	67 FPS
high	16 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	23 FPS	69 FPS
medium	14 FPS	59 FPS
high	8 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	14 FPS	24 FPS
medium	9 FPS	23 FPS
high	6 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	4 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon 660M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	145 FPS	112 FPS
medium	116 FPS	84 FPS
high	89 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	64 FPS
medium	71 FPS	43 FPS
high	55 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	24 FPS
medium	37 FPS	16 FPS
high	30 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	20 FPS	9 FPS

Open Radeon 660M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	145 FPS	145 FPS
medium	116 FPS	116 FPS
high	97 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	109 FPS	109 FPS
medium	87 FPS	87 FPS
high	72 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	72 FPS
medium	58 FPS	58 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Radeon 660M Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	145 FPS	142 FPS
medium	116 FPS	113 FPS
high	97 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	109 FPS	103 FPS
medium	87 FPS	84 FPS
high	72 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	60 FPS
medium	58 FPS	46 FPS
high	48 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	25 FPS

Open Radeon 660M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon 660M and Radeon R9 M290X

Radeon 660M

The Radeon 660M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 6 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,221 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon 660M scores 3,221 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 660M is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon 660M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.459 TFLOPS (Radeon 660M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1900 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,221	3,218
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1280+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.459 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+58%
Boost Clock	1900 MHz+111%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	24	80+233%
L1 Cache	128 KB	320 KB+150%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 660M comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M290X offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon 660M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon 660M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 660M draws 40W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon 660M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 660M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.