Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 4290

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.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 4290 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.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 4290: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro NVS 420

2018

Why buy it

✅4.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Radeon HD 4290 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Quadro NVS 420 is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 100W instead of 190W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
❌15900% longer card at 160mm vs 1mm.

Radeon HD 4290

2009

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Measures 1mm instead of 160mm, a 159mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro NVS 420 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌90% higher power demand at 190W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro NVS 420 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 4.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 4290 instead at 141 vs 137, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Quadro NVS 420 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 16nm process instead of 55nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2009. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 4290 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 4290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro NVS 420 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro NVS 420 vs Radeon HD 4290 Technical Specifications

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

Quadro NVS 420

The Quadro NVS 420 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1227 MHz to 1647 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 137 points.

Radeon HD 4290

The Radeon HD 4290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 2 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 190W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 141 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The Quadro NVS 420 scores 137 and the Radeon HD 4290 reaches 141 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro NVS 420 is built on Pascal while the Radeon HD 4290 uses TeraScale, both on 16 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Quadro NVS 420) vs 800 (Radeon HD 4290). Raw compute: 7.589 TFLOPS (Quadro NVS 420) vs 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4290).

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
G3D Mark Score	137	141+3%
Architecture	Pascal	TeraScale
Process Node	16 nm	55 nm
Shading Units	2304+188%	800
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.589 TFLOPS+458%	1.36 TFLOPS
ROPs	64+300%	16
TMUs	144+260%	40
L1 Cache	864 KB+440%	160 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	0.25 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
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 Quadro NVS 420 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 4290 carries 512 MB. Quadro NVS 420 gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Quadro NVS 420 and 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4290. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Quadro NVS 420) vs 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 4290) — the Quadro NVS 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+700%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (Quadro NVS 420) vs 10.1 (Radeon HD 4290). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
DirectX	10_0	10.1
Max Displays	4+100%	2

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD (Quadro NVS 420) vs UVD 2 (Radeon HD 4290). Decoder: PureVideo HD vs UVD 2.

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
Encoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2
Decoder	PureVideo HD	UVD 2

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Power & Dimensions

The Quadro NVS 420 draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 4290's 190W — a 62.1% difference. The Quadro NVS 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro NVS 420) vs 350W (Radeon HD 4290). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 1mm, occupying 1 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
TDP	100W-47%	190W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	1x 6-pin
Length	160mm	1mm
Slots	1	0-100%
Perf/Watt	1.4+100%	0.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro NVS 420 came in at $0, while the Radeon HD 4290 launched at $60. On MSRP, Quadro NVS 420 was 100+% cheaper ($60 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Quadro NVS 420) vs 2.4 (Radeon HD 4290) — the Quadro NVS 420 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Quadro NVS 420 (2018 vs 2009).

Feature	Quadro NVS 420	Radeon HD 4290
MSRP	$0-100%	$60
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	2.4
Codename	GP104	RV790
Release	February 21 2018	April 2 2009
Ranking	#266	#762

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