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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅61.2% more average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 275W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌61.8% higher power demand at 275W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅61.2% more average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 275W, a 105W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2013-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌61.8% higher power demand at 275W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon R9 290?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU averages 61.2% more FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 8,184 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 290 is a 2013 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2013, 60.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and you are getting 61.2% more estimated average FPS across 36 tracked games in our benchmark data and 60.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 290 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 290 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 290 is 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 8,184 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	109 FPS	83 FPS
medium	98 FPS	71 FPS
high	84 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	72 FPS
medium	83 FPS	64 FPS
high	70 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	26 FPS
medium	43 FPS	25 FPS
high	30 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	357 FPS	185 FPS
medium	310 FPS	156 FPS
high	248 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	132 FPS
medium	190 FPS	103 FPS
high	154 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	60 FPS
medium	89 FPS	49 FPS
high	72 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	593 FPS	368 FPS
medium	474 FPS	295 FPS
high	395 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	276 FPS
medium	356 FPS	221 FPS
high	296 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	184 FPS
medium	237 FPS	147 FPS
high	198 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	92 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
1080p
low	565 FPS	152 FPS
medium	474 FPS	123 FPS
high	395 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	110 FPS
medium	356 FPS	90 FPS
high	296 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	64 FPS
medium	237 FPS	49 FPS
high	198 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	28 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon R9 290

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon R9 290's 8,184 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 60.9%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 290 uses GCN 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
G3D Mark Score	13,170+61%	8,184
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+40%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+163%	4.849 TFLOPS
ROPs	48	64+33%
TMUs	112	160+43%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+456%	0.63 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+200%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 290 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
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 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 192-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+5%	320 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit	512-bit+167%
L2 Cache	3 MB+200%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	VCE 2.0
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 290's 275W — a 47.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290). Power connectors: Mobile vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 290
TDP	170W-38%	275W
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	Mobile	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	—	275mm
Height	—	109mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	77.5+160%	29.8