GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7290

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 RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7290 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 RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7290: 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 RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅3891.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 622.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $20 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon HD 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $329 less on MSRP ($20 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB 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 5.6 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 3891.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 12501.8% in PassMark G3D (14,114 vs 112), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 2060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $329 more expensive on MSRP at $349 vs $20, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 622.2% (40.4 vs 5.6), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 2060 vs Radeon HD 7290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

Radeon HD 7290

The Radeon HD 7290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 2060 scores 14,114 versus the Radeon HD 7290's 112 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 12501.8%. The GeForce RTX 2060 is built on Turing while the Radeon HD 7290 uses GCN 1.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290). Raw compute: 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290). Boost clocks: 1680 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7290
G3D Mark Score	14,114+12502%	112
Architecture	Turing	GCN 1.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1920	2048 ×2+7%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.451 TFLOPS+57%	4.096 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	1680 MHz+68%	1000 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32 ×2
TMUs	120	128 ×2+7%
L1 Cache	1.9 MB+280%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7290
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 2060 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290 carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 2060 gives you 1100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7290. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7290) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7290
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+1100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+300%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2060 draws 160W versus the Radeon HD 7290's 375W — a 80.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7290
TDP	160W-57%	375W
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	229mm	—
Height	113mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	72	—
Perf/Watt	88.2+29300%	0.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2060 came in at $349, while the Radeon HD 7290 launched at $20. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7290 was 94.3% cheaper ($329 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) vs 5.6 (Radeon HD 7290) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 621.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (2019 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2060	Radeon HD 7290
MSRP	$349	$20-94%
Performance per Dollar	40.4+621%	5.6
Codename	TU106	Malta
Release	January 7 2019	April 24 2013
Ranking	#168	#412

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