GeForce 7900 GS vs Radeon HD 8490

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 7900 GS vs Radeon HD 8490 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 7900 GS vs Radeon HD 8490: 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 7900 GS

2008

Why buy it

✅17.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Draws 150W instead of 190W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2008 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
161.6% HIGHER MSRP
$259 MSRPvs$99 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($259 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌17.9% longer card at 198mm vs 168mm.

Radeon HD 8490

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $160 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Delivers 162.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 1.0 G3D/$ ($99 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 256 MB).
✅Measures 168mm instead of 198mm, a 30mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 7900 GS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2009 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌26.7% higher power demand at 190W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 7900 GS is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 17.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 8490 instead at 263 vs 262, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce 7900 GS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8490 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $160 cheaper on MSRP at $99 vs $259, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 162.6% (2.7 vs 1.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8490 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 7900 GS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 7900 GS vs Radeon HD 8490 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 7900 GS

The GeForce 7900 GS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 262 points.

Radeon HD 8490

The Radeon HD 8490 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 263 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 7900 GS scores 262 and the Radeon HD 8490 reaches 263 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 7900 GS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8490 uses TeraScale, both on 65 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 7900 GS) vs 800 (Radeon HD 8490).

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
G3D Mark Score	262	263
Architecture	G9x	TeraScale
Process Node	65 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	224	800+257%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 7900 GS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8490 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
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 7900 GS has 256 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8490 carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 8490 gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 7900 GS and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 8490.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	1 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0c (GeForce 7900 GS) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 8490). OpenGL: 2.1 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
DirectX	9.0c	11.2+24%
OpenGL	2.1	4.4+110%
Max Displays	2	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce 7900 GS) vs UVD 3.1 (Radeon HD 8490). Decoder: PureVideo vs UVD 3.1. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,WMV9 (GeForce 7900 GS) vs H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Radeon HD 8490).

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
Encoder	None	UVD 3.1
Decoder	PureVideo	UVD 3.1
Codecs	MPEG-2,WMV9	H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 7900 GS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8490's 190W — a 23.5% difference. The GeForce 7900 GS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 7900 GS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8490). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 198mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
TDP	150W-21%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	198mm	168mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	1.7+21%	1.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 7900 GS came in at $259, while the Radeon HD 8490 launched at $99. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8490 was 61.8% cheaper ($160 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.0 (GeForce 7900 GS) vs 2.7 (Radeon HD 8490) — the Radeon HD 8490 offers 170% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8490 (2009 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 7900 GS	Radeon HD 8490
MSRP	$259	$99-62%
Performance per Dollar	1.0	2.7+170%
Codename	NB9E-GTX	RV790
Release	July 15 2008	April 2 2009
Ranking	#825	#762

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