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 RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅137.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 116.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅137.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 116.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than Radeon R9 290?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3070 averages 137.6% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 8,184 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 290 is a 2013 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?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2013, 170.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3070 is about 25.1% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 137.6% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 170.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 290 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 290 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 290 is 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 8,184 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.

GeForce RTX 3070 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	158 FPS	83 FPS
medium	140 FPS	71 FPS
high	123 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	72 FPS
medium	109 FPS	64 FPS
high	96 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	26 FPS
medium	67 FPS	25 FPS
high	52 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon R9 290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	470 FPS	185 FPS
medium	405 FPS	156 FPS
high	327 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	294 FPS	132 FPS
medium	246 FPS	103 FPS
high	213 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	60 FPS
medium	120 FPS	49 FPS
high	105 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon R9 290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	885 FPS	368 FPS
medium	712 FPS	295 FPS
high	619 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	499 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	276 FPS
medium	557 FPS	221 FPS
high	473 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	374 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	184 FPS
medium	388 FPS	147 FPS
high	330 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	92 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon R9 290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	600 FPS	152 FPS
medium	527 FPS	123 FPS
high	433 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	489 FPS	110 FPS
medium	433 FPS	90 FPS
high	339 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	297 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	292 FPS	64 FPS
medium	270 FPS	49 FPS
high	238 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	28 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon R9 290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon R9 290

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon R9 290

The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon R9 290's 8,184 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 170.9%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 290 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
G3D Mark Score	22,172+171%	8,184
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	5888+130%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	20.31 TFLOPS+319%	4.849 TFLOPS
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	184+15%	160
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+821%	0.63 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+300%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 290 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 3070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) — a 40% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+40%	320 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	512-bit+100%
L2 Cache	4 MB+300%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon R9 290's 275W — a 22.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon R9 290
TDP	220W-20%	275W
Recommended PSU	650W-13%	750W
Power Connector	8-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	242mm	275mm
Height	112mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	100.8+238%	29.8

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 290 launched at $399. The Radeon R9 290 costs 20% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 116.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2013).