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 Pro Duo vs Radeon R9 290 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 Pro Duo vs Radeon R9 290: 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 Pro Duo

2016

Why buy it

✅27.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Measures 240mm instead of 275mm, a 35mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
275.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.5 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌27.3% higher power demand at 350W vs 275W.

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 270.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 5.5 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 275W instead of 350W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro Duo across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌14.6% longer card at 275mm vs 240mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Pro Duo is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 27.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.4% in PassMark G3D (8,299 vs 8,184), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Pro Duo is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 270.5% (20.5 vs 5.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 290 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Pro Duo has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon Pro Duo vs Radeon R9 290 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon Pro Duo

The Radeon Pro Duo is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 26 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 4096 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,299 points. Launch price was $1,499.

Radeon R9 290

The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon Pro Duo scores 8,299 and the Radeon R9 290 reaches 8,184 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro Duo is built on GCN 3.0 while the Radeon R9 290 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 4,096 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290). Raw compute: 8.192 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
G3D Mark Score	8,299+1%	8,184
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4096 ×2+60%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	8.192 TFLOPS ×2+69%	4.849 TFLOPS
ROPs	64 ×2	64
TMUs	256 ×2+60%	160
L1 Cache	1 MB+59%	0.63 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon Pro Duo has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 carries 4 GB. Radeon Pro Duo gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon Pro Duo and 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) — the Radeon Pro Duo has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon Pro Duo) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290).

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro Duo draws 350W versus the Radeon R9 290's 275W — a 24% difference. The Radeon R9 290 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 95°C.

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
TDP	350W	275W-21%
Recommended PSU	500W-33%	750W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	240mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-21%	95°C
Perf/Watt	23.7	29.8+26%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon Pro Duo came in at $1499, while the Radeon R9 290 launched at $399. On MSRP, Radeon R9 290 was 73.4% cheaper ($1100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.5 (Radeon Pro Duo) vs 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) — the Radeon R9 290 offers 272.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro Duo (2016 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon Pro Duo	Radeon R9 290
MSRP	$1499	$399-73%
Performance per Dollar	5.5	20.5+273%
Codename	Capsaicin	Hawaii
Release	April 26 2016	November 5 2013
Ranking	#309	#316

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