Radeon HD 8990 vs Radeon R9 M295X

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 8990 vs Radeon R9 M295X 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 8990 vs Radeon R9 M295X: 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 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅1.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
233% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.2 vs 17.2 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌50% higher power demand at 375W vs 250W.

Radeon R9 M295X

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $699 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 228.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 17.2 vs 5.2 G3D/$ ($300 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 250W instead of 375W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8990 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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 HD 8990 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.2% in PassMark G3D (5,214 vs 5,150), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 8990 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 M295X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $699 cheaper on MSRP at $300 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 228.9% (17.2 vs 5.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M295X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 8990 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 8990 vs Radeon R9 M295X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 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: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

Radeon R9 M295X

The Radeon R9 M295X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 23 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 723 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,150 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8990 scores 5,214 and the Radeon R9 M295X reaches 5,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8990 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M295X uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 2,048 (Radeon R9 M295X). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 2.961 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M295X).

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon R9 M295X
G3D Mark Score	5,214+1%	5,150
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS ×2+38%	2.961 TFLOPS
ROPs	32 ×2	32
TMUs	128 ×2	128
L1 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon R9 M295X
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 8990 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M295X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M295X gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s x2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 176 GB/s (Radeon R9 M295X) — a 1537.5% advantage for the Radeon HD 8990. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990 and 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M295X. L2 Cache: 768 KB (Radeon HD 8990) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M295X) — the Radeon HD 8990 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon R9 M295X
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s x2+64%	176 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit x2+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8990 draws 375W versus the Radeon R9 M295X's 250W — a 40% difference. The Radeon R9 M295X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 8990) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M295X). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon R9 M295X
TDP	375W	250W-33%
Recommended PSU	750W	350W-53%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	Mobile
Length	—	1mm
Slots	—	0
Perf/Watt	13.9	20.6+48%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8990 came in at $999, while the Radeon R9 M295X launched at $300. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M295X was 70% cheaper ($699 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 17.2 (Radeon R9 M295X) — the Radeon R9 M295X offers 230.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M295X (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Radeon R9 M295X
MSRP	$999	$300-70%
Performance per Dollar	5.2	17.2+231%
Codename	Malta	Amethyst
Release	April 24 2013	November 23 2014
Ranking	#412	#437

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