GeForce GT 130M vs Radeon HD 4290

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 GT 130M vs Radeon HD 4290 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 GT 130M vs Radeon HD 4290: 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 GT 130M

2017

Why buy it

✅1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 30W instead of 190W, a 160W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 1 GB 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 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $60 MSRP).

Radeon HD 4290

2009

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GT 130M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 190W vs 30W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GT 130M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.8% in PassMark G3D (145 vs 141), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce GT 130M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 14nm process instead of 55nm, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 4290 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 4290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GT 130M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GT 130M vs Radeon HD 4290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GT 130M

The GeForce GT 130M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 17 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1228 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 145 points. Launch price was $79.

Radeon HD 4290

The Radeon HD 4290 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: 141 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GT 130M scores 145 and the Radeon HD 4290 reaches 141 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 130M is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 4290 uses TeraScale, both on 14 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 130M) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4290). Raw compute: 1.127 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 130M) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4290).

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
G3D Mark Score	145+3%	141
Architecture	Pascal	TeraScale
Process Node	14 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	384	800+108%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.127 TFLOPS	1.36 TFLOPS+21%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	24	40+67%
L1 Cache	144 KB	160 KB+11%
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GT 130M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
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 GT 130M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4290 carries 512 MB. GeForce GT 130M 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 GT 130M and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4290. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GeForce GT 130M) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 4290) — the GeForce GT 130M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (GeForce GT 130M) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 4290). Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
DirectX	10.1	10.1
Max Displays	1	2+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: No (GeForce GT 130M) vs UVD 2 (Radeon HD 4290). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP3 vs UVD 2.

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
Encoder	No	UVD 2
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP3	UVD 2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GT 130M draws 30W versus the Radeon HD 4290's 190W — a 145.5% difference. The GeForce GT 130M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 130M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 4290). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 1mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
TDP	30W-84%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	1mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	70°C	—
Perf/Watt	4.8+586%	0.7

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GT 130M (2017 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce GT 130M	Radeon HD 4290
MSRP	—	$60
Codename	GP108	RV790
Release	May 17 2017	April 2 2009
Ranking	#641	#762

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