GeForce 8700M GT vs Radeon HD 7290M

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 8700M 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 8700M 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 8700M GT

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7290M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB 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.
❌50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.

Radeon HD 7290M

2012

Why buy it

✅0.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W 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.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7290M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 8700M GT instead at 124 vs 123, 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 8700M GT 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 7290M makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7290M is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8700M GT has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8700M GT vs Radeon HD 7290M Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 8700M GT

The GeForce 8700M GT 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: 124 points.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8700M 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 8700M GT is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 7290M uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8700M GT) vs 1,280 (Radeon HD 7290M).

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
G3D Mark Score	124	123
Architecture	G9x	GCN 1.0
Process Node	65 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	224	1280+471%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8700M 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.

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8700M 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 64-bit on the GeForce 8700M GT and System on the Radeon HD 7290M.

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	64-bit	System

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.0 (GeForce 8700M GT) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 7290M). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
DirectX	10.0	11.2 (11_0)+12%
OpenGL	3.3	4.4+33%
Max Displays	2	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce 8700M GT) vs UVD 3 (Radeon HD 7290M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce 8700M GT) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid (Radeon HD 7290M).

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
Encoder	No	UVD 3
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP2	UVD 3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8700M GT draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 7290M's 100W — a 40% difference. The Radeon HD 7290M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8700M GT) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290M). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
TDP	150W	100W-33%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	0.8	1.2+50%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 7290M (2012 vs 2008).

Feature	GeForce 8700M GT	Radeon HD 7290M
MSRP	$0	—
Codename	NB9E-GTX	Wimbledon
Release	July 15 2008	April 24 2012
Ranking	#825	#531

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