CPU
GPU
Radeon R9 290 / 390
Popular choices:
GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is significantly newer (2023 vs 2015). The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.1% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (6 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 290 / 390.
| Insight | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.1%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.1%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) (5nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | 🎮 High Capacity (6 GB) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (275mm) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) 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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 290 / 390 and GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
Radeon R9 290 / 390
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,150 points. Launch price was $329.
GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1545 MHz to 1890 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,160 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 scores 8,150 and the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) reaches 8,160 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 3,072 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 11.61 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1890 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,150 | 8,160 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560 | 3072+20% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.12 TFLOPS | 11.61 TFLOPS+127% |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1890 MHz+89% |
| ROPs | 64+33% | 48 |
| TMUs | 160+67% | 96 |
| L1 Cache | 0.63 MB | 3 MB+376% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 32 MB+3100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) has 6 GB. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) — a 66.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 290 / 390. Bus width: 512-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 32 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)) — the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 6 GB+50% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 320 GB/s+67% | 192 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 512-bit+167% | 192-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 32 MB+3100% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.0 | 12 |
| Vulkan | 1.2 | 1.3+8% |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 6+50% | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs NVENC 6th Gen (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC 3rd Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs H.264,H.265 (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | NVENC 6th Gen |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | NVDEC 3rd Gen |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 | H.264,H.265 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 draws 300W versus the GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)'s 115W — a 89.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile)). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 275mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 70.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 300W | 115W-62% |
| Recommended PSU | 750W | 500W-33% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 275mm | 0mm |
| Height | 109mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 95°C | 70-26% |
| Perf/Watt | 27.2 | 71.0+161% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2015).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | GeForce GTX 1060 (Mobile) |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $65 | — |
| Codename | Grenada | AD107 |
| Release | June 18 2015 | January 3 2023 |
| Ranking | #296 | #102 |
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