P102-100 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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

P102-100

2018

Why buy it

✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2018-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50% HIGHER MSRP
$600 MSRPvs$400 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 250W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Delivers 46.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 250W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

P102-100

2018

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅Less risky long-term buy than Radeon R9 M290X: it remains the more sensible modern option while Radeon R9 M290X is already obsolete for modern gaming.
✅More future proof: Pascal (2016−2021) on 16nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Delivers 46.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 250W, a 150W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2018-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
50% HIGHER MSRP
$600 MSRPvs$400 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 250W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.

Quick Answers

So, is P102-100 better than Radeon R9 M290X?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,301 vs 3,218 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer P102-100 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

P102-100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2014, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling, and a 16nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

P102-100 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. P102-100 is about 50.0% more expensive on MSRP at $600 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and you are getting 2.6% higher G3D Mark. Radeon R9 M290X really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

Is Radeon R9 M290X still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

No, not for a fresh gaming build. Radeon R9 M290X is 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 3,218 in G3D Mark, and FSR upscaling. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

P102-100 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 M290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	142 FPS	78 FPS
medium	119 FPS	67 FPS
high	99 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	69 FPS
medium	89 FPS	59 FPS
high	74 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	27 FPS
4K
low	57 FPS	24 FPS
medium	50 FPS	23 FPS
high	41 FPS	15 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	13 FPS

Open P102-100 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	149 FPS	112 FPS
medium	119 FPS	84 FPS
high	99 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	64 FPS
medium	89 FPS	43 FPS
high	74 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	22 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	24 FPS
medium	50 FPS	16 FPS
high	47 FPS	13 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	9 FPS

Open P102-100 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	149 FPS	145 FPS
medium	119 FPS	116 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	109 FPS
medium	89 FPS	87 FPS
high	74 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	72 FPS
medium	59 FPS	58 FPS
high	50 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open P102-100 Open Radeon R9 M290X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
1080p
low	149 FPS	142 FPS
medium	119 FPS	113 FPS
high	99 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	103 FPS
medium	89 FPS	84 FPS
high	74 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	54 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	60 FPS
medium	59 FPS	46 FPS
high	50 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	25 FPS

Open P102-100 Open Radeon R9 M290X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of P102-100 and Radeon R9 M290X

P102-100

The P102-100 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 12 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1582 MHz to 1683 MHz. It has 3200 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,301 points. Launch price was $599.

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 P102-100 scores 3,301 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The P102-100 is built on Pascal while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 16 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,200 (P102-100) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 10.77 TFLOPS (P102-100) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1683 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,301+3%	3,218
Architecture	Pascal	GCN 1.0
Process Node	16 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3200+150%	1280
Compute (TFLOPS)	10.77 TFLOPS+367%	2.304 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1683 MHz+87%	900 MHz
ROPs	80+150%	32
TMUs	200+150%	80
L1 Cache	1.2 MB+287%	0.31 MB
L2 Cache	2.5 MB+400%	0.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	P102-100	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The P102-100 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M290X offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2.5 MB (P102-100) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the P102-100 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB+400%	0.5 MB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The P102-100 draws 250W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (P102-100) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	P102-100	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	250W	100W-60%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Slots	2	—
Perf/Watt	13.2	32.2+144%

💰

Value Analysis

The P102-100 launched at $600 MSRP, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. The Radeon R9 M290X costs 33.3% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (P102-100) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R9 M290X offers 45.5% better value. The P102-100 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2014).