GeForce RTX 4060 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 290X

2013Boost: 947 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X Performance Spectrum

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 4060 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X 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 4060 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X: 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 4060 Ti

2023

Why buy it

  • 142.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $150 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
  • Delivers 269.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 56.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon R9 290X

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 37.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $549 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 142.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 168.8% in PassMark G3D (22,651 vs 8,426), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 290X has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 34 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $549, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 269.9% (56.8 vs 15.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti vs Radeon R9 290X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,651 points. Launch price was $399.

AMD

Radeon R9 290X

The Radeon R9 290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 24 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,426 points. Launch price was $549.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti scores 22,651 versus the Radeon R9 290X's 8,426 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti leads by 168.8%. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon R9 290X uses GCN 2.0, both on 5 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X). Raw compute: 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X). Boost clocks: 2535 MHz vs 947 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
G3D Mark Score
22,651+169%
8,426
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
GCN 2.0
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
4352+55%
2816
Compute (TFLOPS)
22.06 TFLOPS+292%
5.632 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2535 MHz+168%
947 MHz
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
136
176+29%
L1 Cache
4.3 MB+523%
0.69 MB
L2 Cache
32 MB+3100%
1 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 290X does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 290X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290X carries 4 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 Ti gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 11.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 290X. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290X. L2 Cache: 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
288 GB/s
320 GB/s+11%
Bus Width
128-bit
512-bit+300%
L2 Cache
32 MB+3100%
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
DirectX
12.2+2%
12.0
Vulkan
1.3+18%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
6+50%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
Encoder
8th Gen NVENC
VCE 2.0
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
UVD 4.2
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti draws 160W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 74.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 70°C vs 95°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
TDP
160W-54%
350W
Recommended PSU
550W-27%
750W
Power Connector
8-pin
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
240mm
275mm
Height
111mm
109mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C-26%
95°C
Perf/Watt
141.6+488%
24.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti came in at $399, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti was 27.3% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 56.8 (GeForce RTX 4060 Ti) vs 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti offers 271.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (2023 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060 TiRadeon R9 290X
MSRP
$399-27%
$549
Performance per Dollar
56.8+271%
15.3
Codename
AD106
Hawaii
Release
May 18 2023
October 24 2013
Ranking
#59
#342

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.