GeForce 7300 GT vs Radeon HD 7290M

NVIDIA

GeForce 7300 GT

2022Core: 1560 MHzBoost: 1860 MHz
Similar parts
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7290M

2012Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce 7300 GT vs Radeon HD 7290M Performance Spectrum

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.

GeForce 7300 GT vs Radeon HD 7290M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 7300 GT vs Radeon HD 7290M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 7300 GT

2022

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($89 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Radeon HD 7290M is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce 7300 GT is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 256 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 350% higher power demand at 450W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 7290M

2012

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
  • Draws 100W instead of 450W, a 350W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 1.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $89 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 7300 GT is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (124 vs 123), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 7300 GT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 84 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2012. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 7300 GT makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 7300 GT vs Radeon HD 7290M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 7300 GT

The GeForce 7300 GT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 27 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1560 MHz to 1860 MHz. It has 10752 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 450W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 124 points. Launch price was $1,999.

AMD

Radeon HD 7290M

The Radeon HD 7290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 123 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 7300 GT scores 124 and the Radeon HD 7290M reaches 123 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 7300 GT is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 7290M uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 10,752 (GeForce 7300 GT) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7290M). Raw compute: 40 TFLOPS (GeForce 7300 GT) vs 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7290M).

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
G3D Mark Score
124
123
Architecture
Ampere
GCN 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
10752+740%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
40 TFLOPS+1738%
2.176 TFLOPS
ROPs
112+250%
32
TMUs
336+320%
80
L1 Cache
10.5 MB+3287%
0.31 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB+1100%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 7300 GT gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7290M leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
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 7300 GT has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290M carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7290M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 7300 GT and System on the Radeon HD 7290M. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce 7300 GT) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7290M) — the GeForce 7300 GT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
L2 Cache
6 MB+1100%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 7300 GT) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 7290M). OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
DirectX
9.0c
11.2 (11_0)+24%
OpenGL
2.1
4.4+110%
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 7300 GT) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 7290M). Decoder: PureVideo vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV,H.264 (GeForce 7300 GT) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid (Radeon HD 7290M).

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
Encoder
None
UVD 3
Decoder
PureVideo
UVD 3
Codecs
MPEG-2,WMV,H.264
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 7300 GT draws 450W versus the Radeon HD 7290M's 100W — a 127.3% difference. The Radeon HD 7290M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 7300 GT) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290M). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
TDP
450W
100W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
1x 6-pin
Length
170mm
Height
111mm
Slots
1
0-100%
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
0.3
1.2+300%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 7300 GT (2022 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce 7300 GTRadeon HD 7290M
MSRP
$89
Codename
GA102
Wimbledon
Release
January 27 2022
April 24 2012
Ranking
#19
#531

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.