Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU vs Radeon HD 7290M

Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU

2018
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 7290M

2012Core: 850 MHz
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Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU vs Radeon HD 7290M 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.

Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU vs Radeon HD 7290M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU

2018

Why buy it

  • Draws 7W instead of 100W, a 93W reduction.
  • More future proof: Unknown architecture on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2018 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon HD 7290M

2012

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs Unknown).
  • Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon HD 7290M is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1328.6% higher power demand at 100W vs 7W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (125 vs 123), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon HD 7290M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs Unknown of VRAM and the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p, Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 7290M has the stronger long-term case.

Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU vs Radeon HD 7290M Technical Specifications

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

Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU

The Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU is manufactured by Qualcomm. It was released in December 6 2018. The thermal design power (TDP) is 7W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 125 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 7290M

The Radeon HD 7290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 123 points.

Graphics Performance

The Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU scores 125 and the Radeon HD 7290M reaches 123 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
G3D Mark Score
125+2%
123
Process Node
5 nm
28 nm

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
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 Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 7290M carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 7290M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is System on the Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU and System on the Radeon HD 7290M.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
VRAM Capacity
Shared System RAM
0.5 GB
Memory Type
Shared
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
System
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 7290M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 2.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
DirectX
12_0+7%
11.2 (11_0)
Max Displays
0
2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU draws 7W versus the Radeon HD 7290M's 100W — a 173.8% difference. The Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU) vs 350W (Radeon HD 7290M). Power connectors: Integrated vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
TDP
7W-93%
100W
Recommended PSU
1W-100%
350W
Power Connector
Integrated
1x 6-pin
Length
1mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75°C
Perf/Watt
17.9+1392%
1.2
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU (2018 vs 2012).

FeatureQualcomm Adreno 540 GPURadeon HD 7290M
MSRP
$0
Codename
Wimbledon
Release
December 6 2018
April 24 2012
Ranking
#860
#531

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