GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 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.

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 Ti

2020

Why buy it

✅+531.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 532.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,218 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
0.3% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅+531.2% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $1 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 532.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (3,218 vs 20,312).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
0.3% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon R9 M290X 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 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 531.2% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 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 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about $1 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 531.2% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 532.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $400 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 Ti Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	152 FPS	78 FPS
medium	137 FPS	67 FPS
high	118 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	69 FPS
medium	107 FPS	59 FPS
high	91 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	24 FPS
medium	65 FPS	23 FPS
high	50 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	425 FPS	112 FPS
medium	366 FPS	84 FPS
high	296 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	64 FPS
medium	229 FPS	43 FPS
high	190 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	24 FPS
medium	114 FPS	16 FPS
high	96 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	9 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	859 FPS	145 FPS
medium	693 FPS	116 FPS
high	602 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	109 FPS
medium	529 FPS	87 FPS
high	452 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	72 FPS
medium	346 FPS	58 FPS
high	275 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	36 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	580 FPS	142 FPS
medium	514 FPS	113 FPS
high	424 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	103 FPS
medium	427 FPS	84 FPS
high	335 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	60 FPS
medium	266 FPS	46 FPS
high	234 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	25 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon R9 M290X

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 3,218 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 531.2%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	20,312+531%	3,218
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 1.0
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4864+280%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.2 TFLOPS+603%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+85%	900 MHz
ROPs	80+150%	32
TMUs	152+90%	80
L1 Cache	4.8 MB+1448%	0.31 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon R9 M290X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
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 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	200W	100W-50%
Recommended PSU	600W	350W-42%
Power Connector	8-pin	Mobile
Length	242mm	—
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	101.6+216%	32.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 0.3% less ($1 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 536.3% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).