GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon HD 4290

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon HD 4290

2009Core: 850 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon HD 4290 Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3070

8 GB 220

22,172

+15624.8%

GeForce RTX 2070 (Mobile)

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

RTX 2000 Ada Generation

GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU

GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile

GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Radeon HD 4290

0.5 GB 190

141

0.0%

About G3D Mark

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 3070 vs Radeon HD 4290 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 3070 vs Radeon HD 4290: 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 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅6306.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 1790.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅1500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌15.8% higher power demand at 220W vs 190W.
❌24100% longer card at 242mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 4290

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $439 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 190W instead of 220W, a 30W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 242mm, a 241mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌2009 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 2.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6306.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 15624.8% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 141), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $439 more expensive on MSRP at $499 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1790.8% (44.4 vs 2.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Radeon HD 4290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon HD 4290

The Radeon HD 4290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 141 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon HD 4290's 141 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 15624.8%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon HD 4290 uses TeraScale, both on 8 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4290). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4290).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
G3D Mark Score	22,172+15625%	141
Architecture	Ampere	TeraScale
Process Node	8 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	5888+636%	800
Compute (TFLOPS)	20.31 TFLOPS+1393%	1.36 TFLOPS
ROPs	96+500%	16
TMUs	184+360%	40
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+3525%	0.16 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 4290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
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 3070 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4290 carries 512 MB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 1500% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4290. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4290) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+1500%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 4290). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
DirectX	12 Ultimate+19%	10.1
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs UVD 2 (Radeon HD 4290). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 2.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	UVD 2
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	UVD 2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9	—

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon HD 4290's 190W — a 14.6% difference. The Radeon HD 4290 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 350W (Radeon HD 4290). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
TDP	220W	190W-14%
Recommended PSU	650W	350W-46%
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	242mm	1mm
Height	112mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C	—
Perf/Watt	100.8+14300%	0.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Radeon HD 4290 launched at $60. On MSRP, Radeon HD 4290 was 88% cheaper ($439 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2.4 (Radeon HD 4290) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 1750% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon HD 4290
MSRP	$499	$60-88%
Performance per Dollar	44.4+1750%	2.4
Codename	GA104	RV790
Release	September 1 2020	April 2 2009
Ranking	#63	#762

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