Radeon HD 6990M 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 HD 6990M

2011

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 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).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅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.

Radeon HD 6990M

2011

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).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 2 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 Radeon HD 6990M 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 3,264 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon HD 6990M is the overall package: you are getting FSR upscaling.

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

Radeon HD 6990M is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

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

Radeon HD 6990M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon HD 6990M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 1.4% 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 Radeon HD 6990M?

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 Radeon HD 6990M. The trade-off is that Radeon HD 6990M currently gives you 1.4% 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.

Radeon HD 6990M Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	62 FPS	78 FPS
medium	49 FPS	67 FPS
high	33 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	37 FPS	69 FPS
medium	27 FPS	59 FPS
high	17 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	9 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	12 FPS	24 FPS
medium	10 FPS	23 FPS
high	6 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6990M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	94 FPS	112 FPS
medium	65 FPS	84 FPS
high	46 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	64 FPS	64 FPS
medium	41 FPS	43 FPS
high	30 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	32 FPS	24 FPS
medium	22 FPS	16 FPS
high	16 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	9 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6990M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	98 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	109 FPS
medium	88 FPS	87 FPS
high	73 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	72 FPS
medium	59 FPS	58 FPS
high	49 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6990M Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	139 FPS	142 FPS
medium	106 FPS	113 FPS
high	86 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	100 FPS	103 FPS
medium	79 FPS	84 FPS
high	65 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	60 FPS
medium	43 FPS	46 FPS
high	33 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	25 FPS

Open Radeon HD 6990M Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 6990M and Radeon R9 M290X

Radeon HD 6990M

The Radeon HD 6990M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,264 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 HD 6990M scores 3,264 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6990M is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,120 (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.602 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X).

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,264+1%	3,218
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1120	1280+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.602 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+44%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	224 KB	320 KB+43%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	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 HD 6990M 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.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	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	512 KB	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6990M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.