GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Radeon R9 290X
GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 290X Performance Spectrum
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.
GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 290X 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 290X: 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 TITAN Z
2014Why buy it
- ✅19.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 4 GB).
- ✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌2014 hardware with 12 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌446.3% HIGHER MSRP$2,999 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.9 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
Radeon R9 290X
2013Why buy it
- ✅Costs $2,450 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 422.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.3 vs 2.9 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX TITAN Z across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
Quick Answers
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GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon R9 290X Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
GeForce GTX TITAN Z
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 28 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 705 MHz to 876 MHz. It has 5760 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,811 points. Launch price was $2,999.
Radeon R9 290X
The Radeon R9 290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 24 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,426 points. Launch price was $549.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 8,811 and the Radeon R9 290X reaches 8,426 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is built on Kepler while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 5,760 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 5.046 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 876 MHz vs 947 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,811+5% | 8,426 |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 2.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 5760 ×2+105% | 2816 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.046 TFLOPS ×2 | 5.632 TFLOPS+12% |
| Boost Clock | 876 MHz | 947 MHz+8% |
| ROPs | 48 ×2 | 64+33% |
| TMUs | 240 ×2+36% | 176 |
| L1 Cache | 240 KB | 704 KB+193% |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB+50% | 1 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 290X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| 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 TITAN Z has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290X carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX TITAN Z gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 950.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX TITAN Z and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290X. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce GTX TITAN Z has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB+200% | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336 GB/s x2+5% | 320 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 384-bit x2 | 512-bit+33% |
| L2 Cache | 1.5 MB+50% | 1 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12.0 |
| Vulkan | 1.0 | 1.1+10% |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 4 | 6+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: NVDEC 1st gen vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 1st gen | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | NVDEC 1st gen | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX TITAN Z draws 375W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 6.9% difference. The Radeon R9 290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 700W (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 275mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 95°C.
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 375W | 350W-7% |
| Recommended PSU | 700W-7% | 750W |
| Power Connector | 2x 8-pin | 6-pin + 8-pin |
| Length | 267mm | 275mm |
| Height | 111mm | 109mm |
| Slots | 3 | 2-33% |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C-16% | 95°C |
| Perf/Watt | 23.5 | 24.1+3% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z came in at $2999, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. On MSRP, Radeon R9 290X was 81.7% cheaper ($2450 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.9 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the Radeon R9 290X offers 427.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX TITAN Z (2014 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce GTX TITAN Z | Radeon R9 290X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $2999 | $549-82% |
| Performance per Dollar | 2.9 | 15.3+428% |
| Codename | GK110B | Hawaii |
| Release | May 28 2014 | October 24 2013 |
| Ranking | #300 | #342 |
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