Radeon HD 4290 vs Radeon HD 8180

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 HD 4290 vs Radeon HD 8180 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 HD 4290 vs Radeon HD 8180: 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 HD 4290

2009

Why buy it

✅1.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
100% HIGHER MSRP
$60 MSRPvs$30 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.4 vs 4.5 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $30 MSRP).
❌280% higher power demand at 190W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8180

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($30 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.5 vs 2.4 G3D/$ ($30 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 190W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 4290 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 4290 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.4% in PassMark G3D (141 vs 135), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 4290 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8180 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $30 vs $60, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 91.5% (4.5 vs 2.4), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8180 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 4290 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 4290 vs Radeon HD 8180 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon HD 8180

The Radeon HD 8180 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 135 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 4290 scores 141 and the Radeon HD 8180 reaches 135 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 4290 is built on TeraScale while the Radeon HD 8180 uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 800 (Radeon HD 4290) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8180). Raw compute: 1.36 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4290) vs 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8180).

Feature	Radeon HD 4290	Radeon HD 8180
G3D Mark Score	141+4%	135
Architecture	TeraScale	GCN 1.0
Process Node	55 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	800+25%	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.36 TFLOPS+37%	0.992 TFLOPS
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	40	40
L1 Cache	160 KB	160 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 4290	Radeon HD 8180
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon HD 4290 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8180.

Feature	Radeon HD 4290	Radeon HD 8180
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4290 draws 190W versus the Radeon HD 8180's 50W — a 116.7% difference. The Radeon HD 8180 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 4290) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8180). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 4290	Radeon HD 8180
TDP	190W	50W-74%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	1mm	—
Slots	0	—
Perf/Watt	0.7	2.7+286%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4290 came in at $60, while the Radeon HD 8180 launched at $30. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8180 was 50% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.4 (Radeon HD 4290) vs 4.5 (Radeon HD 8180) — the Radeon HD 8180 offers 87.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8180 (2013 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 4290	Radeon HD 8180
MSRP	$60	$30-50%
Performance per Dollar	2.4	4.5+88%
Codename	RV790	Venus
Release	April 2 2009	April 1 2013
Ranking	#762	#745

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