GRID K1 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT

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.

GRID K1 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT 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.

GRID K1 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

GRID K1

2013

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
937.6% HIGHER MSRP
$4,140 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.2 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($4,140 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌800% higher power demand at 225W vs 25W.

Radeon HD 2900 XT

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,741 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $4,140 MSRP).
✅Delivers 951.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.7 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $4,140 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 25W instead of 225W, a 200W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 267mm, a 26mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 2900 XT is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (660 vs 651), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GRID K1 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 2900 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $3,741 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $4,140, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 951.9% (1.7 vs 0.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 2900 XT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID K1 has the stronger long-term case.

GRID K1 vs Radeon HD 2900 XT Technical Specifications

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

GRID K1

The GRID K1 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 651 points. Launch price was $5,199.

Radeon HD 2900 XT

The Radeon HD 2900 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 660 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GRID K1 scores 651 and the Radeon HD 2900 XT reaches 660 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K1 is built on Kepler while the Radeon HD 2900 XT uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K1) vs 480 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K1) vs 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 XT).

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
G3D Mark Score	651	660+1%
Architecture	Kepler	TeraScale 2
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1536 ×2+220%	480
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.289 TFLOPS ×2+229%	0.696 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2+300%	8
TMUs	128 ×2+433%	24
L1 Cache	128 KB+167%	48 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID K1 has 512 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT carries 1 GB. Radeon HD 2900 XT gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GRID K1 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 2900 XT. L2 Cache: 512 KB (GRID K1) vs 256 KB (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the GRID K1 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (GRID K1) vs 10.0 (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 2.

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
DirectX	12_0+20%	10.0
Max Displays	0	2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K1 draws 225W versus the Radeon HD 2900 XT's 25W — a 160% difference. The Radeon HD 2900 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K1) vs 350W (Radeon HD 2900 XT). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
TDP	225W	25W-89%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	241mm
Slots	2	2
Perf/Watt	2.9	26.4+810%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K1 came in at $4140, while the Radeon HD 2900 XT launched at $399. On MSRP, Radeon HD 2900 XT was 90.4% cheaper ($3741 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.2 (GRID K1) vs 1.7 (Radeon HD 2900 XT) — the Radeon HD 2900 XT offers 750% better value.

Feature	GRID K1	Radeon HD 2900 XT
MSRP	$4140	$399-90%
Performance per Dollar	0.2	1.7+750%
Codename	GK104	Thames
Release	May 11 2013	January 7 2013
Ranking	#611	#883

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