Radeon HD 7290 vs Radeon X1600 XT

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 7290 vs Radeon X1600 XT 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 7290 vs Radeon X1600 XT: 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 7290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $179 less on MSRP ($20 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 860.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($20 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌25% higher power demand at 375W vs 300W.

Radeon X1600 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Radeon HD 7290 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon X1600 XT is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 300W instead of 375W, a 75W reduction.
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 512 MB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌
895% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$20 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 5.6 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $20 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon X1600 XT is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.6% in PassMark G3D (116 vs 112), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

Radeon X1600 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm, 80 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2013. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $179 cheaper on MSRP at $20 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 860.7% (5.6 vs 0.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 7290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon X1600 XT has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 7290 vs Radeon X1600 XT Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7290

The Radeon HD 7290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 112 points. Launch price was $999.

Radeon X1600 XT

The Radeon X1600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 116 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7290 scores 112 and the Radeon X1600 XT reaches 116 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7290 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon X1600 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 7290) vs 5,120 (Radeon X1600 XT). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 7290) vs 23.04 TFLOPS (Radeon X1600 XT). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 2250 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 7290	Radeon X1600 XT
G3D Mark Score	112	116+4%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2	5120+150%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS ×2	23.04 TFLOPS+463%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	2250 MHz+125%
ROPs	32 ×2	128+300%
TMUs	128 ×2	320+150%
L1 Cache	0.5 MB	1 MB+100%
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	4 MB+433%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7290	Radeon X1600 XT
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 7290 and 64-bit on the Radeon X1600 XT. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 7290) vs 4 MB (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon X1600 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7290	Radeon X1600 XT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	4 MB+433%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7290 draws 375W versus the Radeon X1600 XT's 300W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon X1600 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7290) vs 350W (Radeon X1600 XT). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7290	Radeon X1600 XT
TDP	375W	300W-20%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt	0.3	0.4+33%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7290 came in at $20, while the Radeon X1600 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7290 was 89.9% cheaper ($179 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.6 (Radeon HD 7290) vs 0.6 (Radeon X1600 XT) — the Radeon HD 7290 offers 833.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon X1600 XT (2020 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 7290	Radeon X1600 XT
MSRP	$20-90%	$199
Performance per Dollar	5.6+833%	0.6
Codename	Malta	Navi 21
Release	April 24 2013	October 28 2020
Ranking	#412	#35

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