CPU
GPU
Radeon HD 7290M
Popular choices:
GeForce 9500M G
Popular choices:
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 7290M is positioned at rank 619 and the GeForce 9500M G is on rank 519, so the GeForce 9500M G offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 7290M
Performance Per Dollar GeForce 9500M G
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 7290M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce 9500M G.
| Insight | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell (2014−2017)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 7290M 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.
Path of Exile 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 7290M and GeForce 9500M G
Radeon HD 7290M
The Radeon HD 7290M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 123 points.
GeForce 9500M G
The GeForce 9500M G is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 27 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 928 MHz to 1020 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 122 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 7290M scores 123 and the GeForce 9500M G reaches 122 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7290M is built on GCN 1.0 while the GeForce 9500M G uses Maxwell, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon HD 7290M) vs 640 (GeForce 9500M G). Raw compute: 2.176 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7290M) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (GeForce 9500M G).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 123 | 122 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Maxwell |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Shading Units | 1280+100% | 640 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.176 TFLOPS+67% | 1.306 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32+100% | 16 |
| TMUs | 80+100% | 40 |
| L1 Cache | 320 KB | 320 KB |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 2 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 512 MB of video memory. Bus width: System vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7290M) vs 2 MB (GeForce 9500M G) — the GeForce 9500M G has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | Shared | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | System | Unknown |
| Bus Width | System | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 0.5 MB | 2 MB+300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 7290M) vs 10.0 (GeForce 9500M G). OpenGL: 4.4 vs 3.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.2 (11_0)+12% | 10.0 |
| OpenGL | 4.4+33% | 3.3 |
| Max Displays | 2+100% | 1 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD 3 (Radeon HD 7290M) vs No (GeForce 9500M G). Decoder: UVD 3 vs PureVideo HD VP3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid (Radeon HD 7290M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (GeForce 9500M G).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD 3 | No |
| Decoder | UVD 3 | PureVideo HD VP3 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,DivX,Xvid | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 7290M draws 100W versus the GeForce 9500M G's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The GeForce 9500M G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 7290M) vs 350W (GeForce 9500M G). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Legacy. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 70°C.
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W | 75W-25% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | Legacy |
| Length | — | 0mm |
| Height | — | 0mm |
| Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Temp (Load) | 75°C | 70°C-7% |
| Perf/Watt | 1.2 | 1.6+33% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce 9500M G is the newer GPU (2015 vs 2012).
| Feature | Radeon HD 7290M | GeForce 9500M G |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $30 |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $30 |
| Codename | Wimbledon | GM107 |
| Release | April 24 2012 | October 27 2015 |
| Ranking | #531 | #671 |
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