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

✅+238.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $401 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 578.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $800 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

❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 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.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
100.5% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅+238.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $401 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 578.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 7.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $800 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

✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (6,000 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.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
100.5% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 6,000 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 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 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 238.5% 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 $401 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 238.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 578.8%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire 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 $800 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 Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	152 FPS	49 FPS
medium	137 FPS	41 FPS
high	118 FPS	29 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	17 FPS
1440p
low	131 FPS	40 FPS
medium	107 FPS	30 FPS
high	91 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	11 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	13 FPS
medium	65 FPS	10 FPS
high	50 FPS	6 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	6 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	425 FPS	103 FPS
medium	366 FPS	74 FPS
high	296 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	272 FPS	56 FPS
medium	229 FPS	34 FPS
high	190 FPS	23 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	17 FPS
4K
low	133 FPS	20 FPS
medium	114 FPS	13 FPS
high	96 FPS	10 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	8 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	859 FPS	270 FPS
medium	693 FPS	216 FPS
high	602 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	457 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	658 FPS	202 FPS
medium	529 FPS	162 FPS
high	452 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	101 FPS
4K
low	434 FPS	135 FPS
medium	346 FPS	108 FPS
high	275 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	68 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
1080p
low	580 FPS	118 FPS
medium	514 FPS	92 FPS
high	424 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	478 FPS	72 FPS
medium	427 FPS	52 FPS
high	335 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	285 FPS	38 FPS
medium	266 FPS	27 FPS
high	234 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Open Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 6,000 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 238.5%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire uses GCN, both on 8 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	20,312+239%	6,000
Architecture	Ampere	GCN
Process Node	8 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4864+90%	2560
Boost Clock	1665 MHz+85%	900 MHz

✨

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 Crossfire 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 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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire has 4 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — a 45.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 512-bit (Dual).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+46%	307.2 GB/s (Dual)
Bus Width	256-bit	512-bit (Dual)+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
DirectX	12 Ultimate (12_2)	12
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs UVD 3.1.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
Encoder	NVENC (Ampere)	VCE 1.0
Decoder	NVDEC (Ampere)	UVD 3.1
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire's 200W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire). Power connectors: 8-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060 Ti	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
TDP	200W	200W
Recommended PSU	600W	350W-42%
Power Connector	8-pin	Mobile
Length	242mm	1mm
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75	—
Perf/Watt	101.6+239%	30.0

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti costs 50.1% less ($401 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 7.5 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 578.7% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2014).