Radeon HD 2900 GT vs Radeon R1E
Radeon HD 2900 GT
Popular choices:
Radeon R1E
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is positioned at rank #661 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 2900 GT
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon R1E is significantly newer (2023 vs 2013). The Radeon R1E likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon HD 2900 GT lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R1E is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.1% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 2900 GT.
| Insight | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.1%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) (5nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 2900 GT offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $15 versus $49 for the Radeon R1E, it costs 69% less. While it maintains basic entry-level capabilities, this results in a 216.9% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+216.9%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($15) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($49) |
Performance Check
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 7800X3D 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 2900 GT and Radeon R1E
Radeon HD 2900 GT
The Radeon HD 2900 GT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2013. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 292 points.
Radeon R1E
The Radeon R1E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 400 MHz to 2200 MHz. It has 128 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 2 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 301 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 2900 GT scores 292 and the Radeon R1E reaches 301 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 2900 GT is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R1E uses RDNA 2.0, both on 40 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 480 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 128 (Radeon R1E). Raw compute: 0.696 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 0.5632 TFLOPS (Radeon R1E).
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 292 | 301+3% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | RDNA 2.0 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 480+275% | 128 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.696 TFLOPS+24% | 0.5632 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 8+100% | 4 |
| TMUs | 24+200% | 8 |
| L1 Cache | 48 KB+50% | 32 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 2 MB+700% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 512 MB of GDDR5. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 2 MB (Radeon R1E) — the Radeon R1E has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.25 MB | 2 MB+700% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 12 (Radeon R1E). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10 | 12+20% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 2 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R1E). Decoder: UVD vs UVD 4.2.
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD | VCE 2.0 |
| Decoder | UVD | UVD 4.2 |
| Codecs | — | H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 2900 GT draws 25W versus the Radeon R1E's 15W — a 50% difference. The Radeon R1E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 350W (Radeon R1E). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 25W | 15W-40% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 241mm | — |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | — | 75 |
| Perf/Watt | 11.7 | 20.1+72% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 2900 GT launched at $170 MSRP and currently averages $15, while the Radeon R1E launched at $0 and now averages $49. The Radeon HD 2900 GT costs 69.4% less ($34 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 19.5 (Radeon HD 2900 GT) vs 6.1 (Radeon R1E) — the Radeon HD 2900 GT offers 219.7% better value. The Radeon R1E is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon HD 2900 GT | Radeon R1E |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $170 | $0-100% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $15-69% | $49 |
| Performance per Dollar | 19.5+220% | 6.1 |
| Codename | Thames | Dragon Range |
| Release | January 7 2013 | January 3 2023 |
| Ranking | #883 | #843 |
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