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 R9 290

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7600 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
48.3% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$269 MSRP

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

✅82.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($269 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 200.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

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

Radeon R9 290

2013

Radeon RX 7600

2023

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅82.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($269 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 200.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 61.6 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($269 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7600 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
48.3% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$269 MSRP

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 7600 better than Radeon R9 290?

Yes. Radeon RX 7600 is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 7600 averages 82.9% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,581 vs 8,184 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7600 is a 2023 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, 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?

Radeon RX 7600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2013, 102.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) 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?

Radeon RX 7600 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon RX 7600 is about $130 cheaper on MSRP at $269 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 82.9% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 102.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 200.5%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 290 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $399 MSRP, even if Radeon RX 7600 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 R9 290 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 7600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	83 FPS	168 FPS
medium	71 FPS	149 FPS
high	59 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	140 FPS
medium	64 FPS	114 FPS
high	47 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	85 FPS
medium	25 FPS	72 FPS
high	17 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	52 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon RX 7600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	185 FPS	414 FPS
medium	156 FPS	349 FPS
high	129 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	241 FPS
medium	103 FPS	205 FPS
high	83 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	109 FPS
medium	49 FPS	91 FPS
high	44 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	57 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon RX 7600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	368 FPS	746 FPS
medium	295 FPS	597 FPS
high	246 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	276 FPS	560 FPS
medium	221 FPS	448 FPS
high	184 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	280 FPS
4K
low	184 FPS	373 FPS
medium	147 FPS	298 FPS
high	123 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	187 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon RX 7600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
1080p
low	152 FPS	604 FPS
medium	123 FPS	517 FPS
high	105 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	352 FPS
1440p
low	110 FPS	468 FPS
medium	90 FPS	397 FPS
high	78 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	293 FPS
medium	49 FPS	271 FPS
high	39 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	187 FPS

Open Radeon R9 290 Open Radeon RX 7600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 290 and Radeon RX 7600

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.

Radeon RX 7600

The Radeon RX 7600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 24 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1720 MHz to 2655 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 32 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,581 points. Launch price was $269.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon R9 290 scores 8,184 versus the Radeon RX 7600's 16,581 — the Radeon RX 7600 leads by 102.6%. The Radeon R9 290 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 7600 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 7600). Raw compute: 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290) vs 21.75 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7600).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
G3D Mark Score	8,184	16,581+103%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.849 TFLOPS	21.75 TFLOPS+349%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR 3 + AFMF

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7600 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon R9 290 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 290 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7600 has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 7600 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 7600) — a 11.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 290. Bus width: 512-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 7600) — the Radeon RX 7600 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+11%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	512-bit+300%	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 7600). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
DirectX	12.0	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7600). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 7600).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCN 4.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	VCN 4.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 draws 275W versus the Radeon RX 7600's 165W — a 50% difference. The Radeon RX 7600 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290) vs 550W (Radeon RX 7600). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX 7600
TDP	275W	165W-40%
Recommended PSU	750W	550W-27%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	275mm	240mm
Height	109mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	75°C-21%
Perf/Watt	29.8	100.5+237%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 290 launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 7600 launched at $269. The Radeon RX 7600 costs 32.6% less ($130 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) vs 61.6 (Radeon RX 7600) — the Radeon RX 7600 offers 200.5% better value. The Radeon RX 7600 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).