GeForce GTX 680M 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 680M 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 680M 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 680M

2012

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 4 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 8.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅5.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB 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 R9 M290X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 5.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 680M instead at 3,277 vs 3,218, 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 680M 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 R9 M290X 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 R9 M290X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 680M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 680M vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 680M

The GeForce GTX 680M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 4 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 719 MHz to 758 MHz. It has 1344 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,277 points. Launch price was $310.50.

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 680M scores 3,277 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 680M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,344 (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 2.038 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 758 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,277+2%	3,218
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1344+5%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.038 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+13%
Boost Clock	758 MHz	900 MHz+19%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	112+40%	80
L1 Cache	112 KB	320 KB+186%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 680M 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 680M	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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 680M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 680M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 680M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	100W	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	81°C	—
Perf/Watt	32.8+2%	32.2

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 M290X (2014 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce GTX 680M	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	—	$400
Codename	GK104	Neptune
Release	June 4 2012	January 9 2014
Ranking	#561	#566

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