GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) vs Radeon R9 290
GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
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Radeon R9 290
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is positioned at rank #11 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Excellent cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is significantly newer (2023 vs 2013). The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 290 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R9 290 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.3%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.3%) |
| Longevity | Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) (5nm) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | 🎮 High Capacity (6 GB) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | — | Standard Size (275mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon R9 290 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) and Radeon R9 290
GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1890 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,160 points.
Radeon R9 290
The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) scores 8,160 and the Radeon R9 290 reaches 8,184 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon R9 290 uses GCN 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290). Raw compute: 11.61 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,160 | 8,184 |
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 5 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 3072+20% | 2560 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 11.61 TFLOPS+139% | 4.849 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 48 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 96 | 160+67% |
| L1 Cache | 3 MB+376% | 0.63 MB |
| L2 Cache | 32 MB+3100% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) — a 66.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 290. Bus width: 192-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB+50% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 320 GB/s+67% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 512-bit+167% |
| L2 Cache | 32 MB+3100% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.3+8% | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 6th Gen (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd Gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 6th Gen | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 3rd Gen | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,H.265 | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) draws 115W versus the Radeon R9 290's 275W — a 82.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 275mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70 vs 95°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 115W-58% | 275W |
| Recommended PSU | 500W-33% | 750W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 0mm | 275mm |
| Height | 0mm | 109mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 70-26% | 95°C |
| Perf/Watt | 71.0+138% | 29.8 |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $399 |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $50 |
| Codename | AD107 | Hawaii |
| Release | January 3 2023 | November 5 2013 |
| Ranking | #102 | #316 |
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