Arc Graphics 130T vs Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

CPU

GPU

Arc Graphics 130T

2025

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Arc Graphics 130T

Shared 15

6,208

+3.5%

Arc 8-Core iGPU

Arc Graphics 130V

Graphics 4-Core iGPU (Arc)

Arc A770M

Arc B580

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

4 GB 200

6,000

0.0%

Radeon RX 560X

Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870

About G3D Mark

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.

Arc Graphics 130T

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 175.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.7 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 15W instead of 200W, a 185W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, Unknown of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅More future proof: GCN (2012−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
166.7% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 20.7 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌1233.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 15W.

Arc Graphics 130T

2025

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $500 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 175.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.7 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 15W instead of 200W, a 185W reduction.

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
✅More future proof: GCN (2012−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, Unknown of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
166.7% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 20.7 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌1233.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Arc Graphics 130T better than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 6,208 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Arc Graphics 130T is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack, plus much lower power draw (15W vs 200W).

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

Arc Graphics 130T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2014 and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

Arc Graphics 130T can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $300 MSRP. Arc Graphics 130T is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Arc Graphics 130T is about $500 cheaper on MSRP at $300 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 3.5% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $300 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (15W vs 200W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $800 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Arc Graphics 130T is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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.

Arc Graphics 130T Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	80 FPS	38 FPS
medium	70 FPS	32 FPS
high	50 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	66 FPS	31 FPS
medium	58 FPS	24 FPS
high	37 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	23 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	24 FPS	11 FPS
medium	23 FPS	9 FPS
high	14 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	12 FPS	5 FPS

Open Arc Graphics 130T Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	121 FPS	103 FPS
medium	85 FPS	74 FPS
high	58 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	80 FPS	56 FPS
medium	48 FPS	34 FPS
high	35 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	38 FPS	20 FPS
medium	25 FPS	13 FPS
high	20 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	8 FPS

Open Arc Graphics 130T Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	279 FPS	270 FPS
medium	223 FPS	216 FPS
high	176 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	210 FPS	202 FPS
medium	168 FPS	162 FPS
high	140 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	140 FPS	135 FPS
medium	112 FPS	108 FPS
high	78 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	68 FPS

Open Arc Graphics 130T Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	139 FPS	118 FPS
medium	109 FPS	92 FPS
high	88 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	72 FPS
medium	81 FPS	52 FPS
high	64 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	51 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	38 FPS
medium	49 FPS	27 FPS
high	39 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	14 FPS

Open Arc Graphics 130T Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Arc Graphics 130T and Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Arc Graphics 130T

The Arc Graphics 130T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the Xe+ architecture. It has 7 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,208 points.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Arc Graphics 130T scores 6,208 and the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire reaches 6,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Arc Graphics 130T is built on Xe+ while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN. Shader units: 7 (Arc Graphics 130T) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire).

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	6,208+3%	6,000
Architecture	Xe+	GCN
Shading Units	7	2560+36471%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Arc Graphics 130T comes with 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 512-bit (Dual).

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	Shared	4 GB
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	307.2 GB/s (Dual)
Bus Width	System	512-bit (Dual)

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (Arc Graphics 130T) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 0.

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12.2+2%	12
Max Displays	3	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: Xe Media Engine (Arc Graphics 130T) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: Xe Media Engine vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	Xe Media Engine	VCE 1.0
Decoder	Xe Media Engine	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1,H.266	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Arc Graphics 130T draws 15W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 172.1% difference. The Arc Graphics 130T is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Arc Graphics 130T) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: Integrated vs Mobile. Card length: 0mm vs 1mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Arc Graphics 130T	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
TDP	15W-93%	200W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Integrated	Mobile
Length	0mm	1mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	413.9+1280%	30.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Arc Graphics 130T launched at $300 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. The Arc Graphics 130T costs 62.5% less ($500 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.7 (Arc Graphics 130T) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the Arc Graphics 130T offers 176% better value. The Arc Graphics 130T is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2014).