Radeon 660M 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.

Radeon 660M 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.

Radeon 660M 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.

Radeon 660M

2023

Why buy it

✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅39.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).

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.
❌150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M290X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 39.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon 660M instead at 3,221 vs 3,218, 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?

Radeon 660M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 6nm process instead of 28nm, 6 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M290X 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 R9 M290X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon 660M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon 660M vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon 660M

The Radeon 660M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1900 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 6 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,221 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 Radeon 660M scores 3,221 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon 660M is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (Radeon 660M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.459 TFLOPS (Radeon 660M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1900 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,221	3,218
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	384	1280+233%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.459 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+58%
Boost Clock	1900 MHz+111%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	24	80+233%
L1 Cache	128 KB	320 KB+150%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + RSR	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon 660M 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 System on the Radeon 660M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon 660M) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon 660M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	Shared	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	System	Unknown
Bus Width	System	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	0.5 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon 660M draws 40W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon 660M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon 660M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	40W-60%	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Mobile
Perf/Watt	80.5+150%	32.2

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon 660M (2023 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon 660M	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	—	$400
Codename	Rembrandt+	Neptune
Release	January 3 2023	January 9 2014
Ranking	#565	#566

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