Radeon R7 260X vs Radeon R9 M290X

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 R7 260X vs Radeon R9 M290X 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 R7 260X vs Radeon R9 M290X: 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 R7 260X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 186% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 23.0 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($139 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌15% higher power demand at 115W vs 100W.

Radeon R9 M290X

2014

Why buy it

✅46.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 115W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
187.8% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$139 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 23.0 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $139 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M290X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 46.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.6% in PassMark G3D (3,218 vs 3,198), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R7 260X 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 R7 260X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $261 cheaper on MSRP at $139 vs $400, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 186% (23.0 vs 8.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 M290X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R7 260X vs Radeon R9 M290X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R7 260X

The Radeon R7 260X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,198 points. Launch price was $139.

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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R7 260X scores 3,198 and the Radeon R9 M290X reaches 3,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R7 260X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 M290X uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R7 260X) vs 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X). Raw compute: 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R7 260X) vs 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 900 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
G3D Mark Score	3,198	3,218
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	896	1280+43%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.971 TFLOPS	2.304 TFLOPS+17%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+11%	900 MHz
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	56	80+43%
L1 Cache	224 KB	320 KB+43%
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
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 R7 260X has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 M290X carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 M290X 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 R7 260X and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R7 260X) vs 512 KB (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R9 M290X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	4 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	104 GB/s	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R7 260X draws 115W versus the Radeon R9 M290X's 100W — a 14% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon R7 260X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M290X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
TDP	115W	100W-13%
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	170mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	27.8	32.2+16%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R7 260X came in at $139, while the Radeon R9 M290X launched at $400. On MSRP, Radeon R7 260X was 65.3% cheaper ($261 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 23.0 (Radeon R7 260X) vs 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) — the Radeon R7 260X offers 187.5% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M290X (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R7 260X	Radeon R9 M290X
MSRP	$139-65%	$400
Performance per Dollar	23.0+188%	8.0
Codename	Bonaire	Neptune
Release	October 8 2013	January 9 2014
Ranking	#568	#566

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