GeForce 8400M G vs Radeon HD 7290

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 8400M G vs Radeon HD 7290 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 8400M G vs Radeon HD 7290: 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 8400M G

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 375W, a 342W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7290 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
150% HIGHER MSRP
$50 MSRPvs$20 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.1 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $20 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅53.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($20 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
✅Delivers 166.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 128 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌1036.4% higher power demand at 375W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7290 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 53.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.7% in PassMark G3D (112 vs 105), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce 8400M G is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $20 vs $50, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 166.7% (5.6 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8400M G has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8400M G vs Radeon HD 7290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8400M G

The GeForce 8400M G is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 12 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1029 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 105 points.

Radeon HD 7290

The Radeon HD 7290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $999.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 8400M G scores 105 versus the Radeon HD 7290's 112 — the Radeon HD 7290 leads by 6.7%. The GeForce 8400M G is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 7290 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 8400M G) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290). Raw compute: 0.8632 TFLOPS (GeForce 8400M G) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290). Boost clocks: 1124 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 7290
G3D Mark Score	105	112+7%
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	2048 ×2+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8632 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+375%
Boost Clock	1124 MHz+12%	1000 MHz
ROPs	8	32 ×2+300%
TMUs	16	128 ×2+700%
L1 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8400M G gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 7290
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 8400M G has 128 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7290 gives you 300% 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 8400M G and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7290. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 8400M G) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7290) — the GeForce 8400M G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 7290
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.5 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8400M G draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 7290's 375W — a 167.6% difference. The GeForce 8400M G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8400M G) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 7290
TDP	33W-91%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.2+967%	0.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8400M G came in at $50, while the Radeon HD 7290 launched at $20. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7290 was 60% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (GeForce 8400M G) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7290) — the Radeon HD 7290 offers 166.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 8400M G (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce 8400M G	Radeon HD 7290
MSRP	$50	$20-60%
Performance per Dollar	2.1	5.6+167%
Codename	GM108	Malta
Release	March 12 2014	April 24 2013
Ranking	#854	#412

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