GRID P100-8Q vs Radeon R9 M290X

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 P100-8Q vs Radeon R9 M290X 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 P100-8Q vs Radeon R9 M290X: 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 P100-8Q

2016

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2016 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
1743.5% HIGHER MSRP
$7,374 MSRPvs$400 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.4 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($7,374 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌125% higher power demand at 225W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $6,974 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $7,374 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1715.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $7,374 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 225W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 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?

GRID P100-8Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (3,267 vs 3,218), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GRID P100-8Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2016 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M290X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $6,974 cheaper on MSRP at $400 vs $7,374, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1715.9% (8.0 vs 0.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M290X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GRID P100-8Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID P100-8Q vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

GRID P100-8Q

The GRID P100-8Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2016. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1033 MHz to 1306 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,267 points.

Radeon R9 M290X

The Radeon R9 M290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,218 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GRID P100-8Q scores 3,267 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID P100-8Q is built on Maxwell while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 640 (GRID P100-8Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.672 TFLOPS (GRID P100-8Q) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1306 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	GRID P100-8Q	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,267+2%	3,218
Architecture	Maxwell	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	640	1280+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.672 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+38%
Boost Clock	1306 MHz+45%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	40	80+100%
L1 Cache	320 KB	320 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GRID P100-8Q	Radeon R9 M290X
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 P100-8Q has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M290X 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 P100-8Q and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID P100-8Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GRID P100-8Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GRID P100-8Q	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID P100-8Q draws 225W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 76.9% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID P100-8Q) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	GRID P100-8Q	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	225W	100W-56%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Perf/Watt	14.5	32.2+122%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID P100-8Q came in at $7374, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M290X was 94.6% cheaper ($6974 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GRID P100-8Q) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R9 M290X offers 1900% better value. The newer card here is GRID P100-8Q (2016 vs 2014).

Feature	GRID P100-8Q	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	$7374	$400-95%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	8.0+1900%
Codename	GM107	Neptune
Release	May 18 2016	January 9 2014
Ranking	#622	#566

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