GeForce GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 M290X

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 GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 M290X 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 GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 M290X: 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 GTX 470

2010

Why buy it

✅5.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $51 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌115% higher power demand at 215W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅220% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 1 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 215W, a 115W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 470 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
14.6% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 470 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 5.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 M290X instead at 3,218 vs 3,145, 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 GTX 470 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?

GeForce GTX 470 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $51 cheaper on MSRP at $349 vs $400, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 12% (9.0 vs 8.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 470 vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 470

The GeForce GTX 470 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 26 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,145 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon R9 M290X

The Radeon R9 M290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,218 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 470 scores 3,145 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 470 is built on Fermi while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 448 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.089 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 470) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,145	3,218+2%
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	448	1280+186%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.089 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+112%
ROPs	40+25%	32
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	896 KB+180%	320 KB
L2 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 470 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M290X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
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 GTX 470 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M290X gives you 220% 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 GTX 470 and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X. L2 Cache: 640 KB (GeForce GTX 470) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 470 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	1.25 GB	4 GB+220%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 470 draws 215W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 73% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 470) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	215W	100W-53%
Recommended PSU	550W	350W-36%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	241mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	93	—
Perf/Watt	14.6	32.2+121%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 470 came in at $349, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 470 was 12.8% cheaper ($51 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.0 (GeForce GTX 470) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce GTX 470 offers 12.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M290X (2014 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTX 470	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	$349-13%	$400
Performance per Dollar	9.0+13%	8.0
Codename	GF100	Neptune
Release	March 26 2010	January 9 2014
Ranking	#572	#566

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