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 R7 260X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 186% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌15% higher power demand at 115W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 115W, a 15W 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.
❌
187.8% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 23.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Radeon R7 260X

2013

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 186% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 115W, a 15W reduction.
✅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: 2013-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌15% higher power demand at 115W 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.
❌
187.8% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 23.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon R9 M290X better than Radeon R7 260X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,198 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.

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

Radeon R7 260X 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 R9 M290X is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon R9 M290X is about 187.8% more expensive on MSRP at $400 MSRP versus $139 MSRP, and you are getting 0.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R7 260X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon R7 260X make more sense than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes. Radeon R7 260X 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 $139 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon R9 M290X. The trade-off is that Radeon R9 M290X currently gives you 0.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R7 260X 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 R7 260X Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	36 FPS	78 FPS
medium	22 FPS	67 FPS
high	15 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	8 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	24 FPS	69 FPS
medium	14 FPS	59 FPS
high	7 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	4 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	9 FPS	24 FPS
medium	6 FPS	23 FPS
high	4 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	3 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon R7 260X Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	54 FPS	112 FPS
medium	30 FPS	84 FPS
high	22 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	27 FPS	64 FPS
medium	15 FPS	43 FPS
high	9 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	7 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	7 FPS	24 FPS
medium	4 FPS	16 FPS
high	4 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	3 FPS	9 FPS

Open Radeon R7 260X Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	144 FPS	145 FPS
medium	115 FPS	116 FPS
high	96 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	108 FPS	109 FPS
medium	86 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 R7 260X Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	111 FPS	142 FPS
medium	87 FPS	113 FPS
high	66 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	61 FPS	103 FPS
medium	49 FPS	84 FPS
high	40 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	34 FPS	60 FPS
medium	25 FPS	46 FPS
high	20 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	25 FPS

Open Radeon R7 260X Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R7 260X and Radeon R9 M290X

Radeon R7 260X

The Radeon R7 260X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,198 points. Launch price was $139.

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 Radeon R7 260X scores 3,198 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 260X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R7 260X) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260X) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,198	3,218
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	896	1280+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.971 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+17%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+11%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	224 KB	320 KB+43%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R7 260X 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: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R7 260X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R9 M290X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	104 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R7 260X draws 115W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 14% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R7 260X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	115W	100W-13%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	170mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	27.8	32.2+16%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R7 260X launched at $139 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. The Radeon R7 260X costs 65.3% less ($261 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 23.0 (Radeon R7 260X) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R7 260X offers 187.5% better value. The Radeon R9 M290X is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).