GRID P4-2Q vs Radeon R9 M290X

GRID P4-2Q

2015Core: 557 MHzBoost: 1178 MHz
Similar parts
··
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M290X

2014Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz

GRID P4-2Q vs Radeon R9 M290X 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.

GRID P4-2Q 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 P4-2Q

2015

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.
  • 2015 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 275% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,500 MSRPvs$400 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.1 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
  • 125% higher power demand at 225W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 281.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $1,500 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?
Radeon R9 M290X is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.8% in PassMark G3D (3,218 vs 3,162), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GRID P4-2Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2015 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 $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $400 vs $1,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 281.6% (8.0 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. 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 P4-2Q has the stronger long-term case.

GRID P4-2Q vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID P4-2Q

The GRID P4-2Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 30 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 557 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,162 points.

AMD

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.

Graphics Performance

The GRID P4-2Q scores 3,162 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID P4-2Q is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GRID P4-2Q) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 4.825 TFLOPS (GRID P4-2Q) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 900 MHz.

FeatureGRID P4-2QRadeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score
3,162
3,218+2%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048+60%
1280
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.825 TFLOPS+109%
2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1178 MHz+31%
900 MHz
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128+60%
80
L1 Cache
768 KB+140%
320 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB+300%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGRID P4-2QRadeon 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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID P4-2Q 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 P4-2Q and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GRID P4-2Q) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the GRID P4-2Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGRID P4-2QRadeon 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 P4-2Q 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 P4-2Q) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

FeatureGRID P4-2QRadeon R9 M290X
TDP
225W
100W-56%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Mobile
Perf/Watt
14.1
32.2+128%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID P4-2Q came in at $1500, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M290X was 73.3% cheaper ($1100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.1 (GRID P4-2Q) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R9 M290X offers 281% better value. The newer card here is GRID P4-2Q (2015 vs 2014).

FeatureGRID P4-2QRadeon R9 M290X
MSRP
$1500
$400-73%
Performance per Dollar
2.1
8.0+281%
Codename
GM204
Neptune
Release
August 30 2015
January 9 2014
Ranking
#433
#566

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.