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

✅+119.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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 200W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 13,170).
❌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: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅+119.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅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 200W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 vs 13,170).
❌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: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU better than Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 13,170 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is a 2014 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 2014, 119.5% 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 $800 MSRP, and you are getting 119.5% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 6,000 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 M290X Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	109 FPS	38 FPS
medium	98 FPS	32 FPS
high	84 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	14 FPS
1440p
low	95 FPS	31 FPS
medium	83 FPS	24 FPS
high	70 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	9 FPS
4K
low	48 FPS	11 FPS
medium	43 FPS	9 FPS
high	30 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	357 FPS	103 FPS
medium	310 FPS	74 FPS
high	248 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	56 FPS
medium	190 FPS	34 FPS
high	154 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	108 FPS	20 FPS
medium	89 FPS	13 FPS
high	72 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	593 FPS	270 FPS
medium	474 FPS	216 FPS
high	395 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	202 FPS
medium	356 FPS	162 FPS
high	296 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	135 FPS
medium	237 FPS	108 FPS
high	198 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	565 FPS	118 FPS
medium	474 FPS	92 FPS
high	395 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	444 FPS	72 FPS
medium	356 FPS	52 FPS
high	296 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	296 FPS	38 FPS
medium	237 FPS	27 FPS
high	198 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	148 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU and Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

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 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU scores 13,170 versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 6,000 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 119.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	13,170+120%	6,000
Architecture	Ampere	GCN
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3584+40%	2560
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+97%	900 MHz

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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 M290X Crossfire 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 M290X Crossfire
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — a 9.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 192-bit vs 512-bit (Dual).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	6 GB+50%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+9%	307.2 GB/s (Dual)
Bus Width	192-bit	512-bit (Dual)+167%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	NVENC (7th Gen)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (5th Gen)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU draws 170W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 16.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.