Radeon HD 6990M 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 HD 6990M 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 HD 6990M 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 HD 6990M

2011

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

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.
❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅7.4% 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.

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 7.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 6990M instead at 3,264 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 HD 6990M 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 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 HD 6990M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 6990M vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 6990M

The Radeon HD 6990M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 12 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 715 MHz. It has 1120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,264 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 HD 6990M scores 3,264 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6990M is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,120 (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.602 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X).

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,264+1%	3,218
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1120	1280+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.602 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+44%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	224 KB	320 KB+43%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	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 HD 6990M 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 HD 6990M and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	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	512 KB	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 6990M draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6990M) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	100W	100W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Perf/Watt	32.6+1%	32.2

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon R9 M290X (2014 vs 2011).

Feature	Radeon HD 6990M	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	—	$400
Codename	Blackcomb	Neptune
Release	July 12 2011	January 9 2014
Ranking	#691	#566

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