Radeon HD 6990M
VS
Radeon R9 M290X

Radeon HD 6990M vs Radeon R9 M290X

AMD

Radeon HD 6990M

2011Core: 715 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 M290X

2014Core: 850 MHzBoost: 900 MHz

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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Radeon HD 6990M is positioned at rank 233 and the Radeon R9 M290X is on rank 399, so the Radeon HD 6990M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 6990M

#53
Radeon RX 6850M XT
MSRP: $800|Avg: $800
100%
#54
Radeon RX 6800S
MSRP: $800|Avg: $800
91%
#223
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
499%
#225
452%
#226
451%
#230
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
410%
#231
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
407%
#233
Radeon HD 6990M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#235
Radeon RX 540
MSRP: $99|Avg: $40
99%
#236
Radeon HD 6750M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $60
98%
#237
Radeon HD 7570M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $15
97%
#239
GeForce MX570 A
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
95%
#240
Arc Graphics 130T
MSRP: $300|Avg: $250
95%
#242
GeForce GT 645
MSRP: $99|Avg: $15
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon R9 M290X

#388
Radeon RX 550X (móvel)
MSRP: $35|Avg: $35
1349%
#390
1223%
#391
1219%
#395
GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50
1109%
#396
Radeon RX 6300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $40
1101%
#399
Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP: $400|Avg: $60
100%
#400
Radeon HD 7670
MSRP: $100|Avg: $25
100%
#401
Radeon HD 8550G + 8750M Dual
MSRP: $100|Avg: $100
99%
#402
Mobility Radeon HD 5000
MSRP: $99|Avg: $20
97%
#403
Iris Pro Graphics 5200
MSRP: $150|Avg: $40
97%
#405
97%
#406
Radeon HD 8650G + 7700M Dual
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
93%
#407
Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire
MSRP: $800|Avg: $200
93%
#408
GeForce GTX 285M SLI
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40
91%
#409
Radeon R7 M260X
MSRP: $139|Avg: $35
91%
#410
90%
#411
Intel UHD Graphics 615
MSRP: $100|Avg: $50
89%
#412
Radeon R7 A365
MSRP: $109|Avg: $55
89%
#413
Radeon 3015e
MSRP: $49|Avg: $49
89%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 6990M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon R9 M290X offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

InsightRadeon HD 6990MRadeon R9 M290X
Performance
Leading raw performance (+1.4%)
Lower raw frame rates (-1.4%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency
Normal Efficiency
Normal Efficiency
Case Fit

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 6990M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

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 6990M and Radeon R9 M290X

AMD

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.

AMD

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.

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).

FeatureRadeon HD 6990MRadeon 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

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon HD 6990MRadeon R9 M290X
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)

The Radeon HD 6990M comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 M290X offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: System vs 128-bit.

FeatureRadeon HD 6990MRadeon 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
🔌

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.

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

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 M290X is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon HD 6990MRadeon R9 M290X
MSRP
$400
Avg Price (30d)
$60
Codename
Blackcomb
Neptune
Release
July 12 2011
January 9 2014
Ranking
#691
#566