GeForce9400M vs Radeon HD 7290

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.

GeForce9400M vs Radeon HD 7290 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.

GeForce9400M vs Radeon HD 7290: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce9400M

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 33W instead of 375W, a 342W reduction.
✅More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 7290 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2015 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 0 vs 5.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $20 MSRP).

Radeon HD 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅53.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌1036.4% higher power demand at 375W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7290 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 53.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.7% in PassMark G3D (112 vs 106), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce9400M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7290 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce9400M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce9400M vs Radeon HD 7290 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce9400M

The GeForce9400M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1072 MHz to 1176 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 106 points.

Radeon HD 7290

The Radeon HD 7290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce9400M scores 106 versus the Radeon HD 7290's 112 — the Radeon HD 7290 leads by 5.7%. The GeForce9400M is built on Maxwell while the Radeon HD 7290 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce9400M) vs 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290). Raw compute: 0.9032 TFLOPS (GeForce9400M) vs 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290). Boost clocks: 1176 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	GeForce9400M	Radeon HD 7290
G3D Mark Score	106	112+6%
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	2048 ×2+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.9032 TFLOPS	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+353%
Boost Clock	1176 MHz+18%	1000 MHz
ROPs	8	32 ×2+300%
TMUs	24	128 ×2+433%
L1 Cache	192 KB	512 KB+167%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce9400M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 7290 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce9400M	Radeon HD 7290
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce9400M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7290. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce9400M) vs 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7290) — the GeForce9400M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce9400M	Radeon HD 7290
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB+33%	0.75 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce9400M draws 33W versus the Radeon HD 7290's 375W — a 167.6% difference. The GeForce9400M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce9400M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce9400M	Radeon HD 7290
TDP	33W-91%	375W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.2+967%	0.3

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce9400M (2015 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce9400M	Radeon HD 7290
MSRP	—	$20
Codename	GM108	Malta
Release	March 13 2015	April 24 2013
Ranking	#847	#412

Search GeForce9400M on Amazon

Search Radeon HD 7290 on Amazon

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.