Radeon R9 290 / 390 vs Quadro M5500

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015Boost: 1000 MHz

Quadro M5500

2016Core: 1140 MHzBoost: 1165 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon R9 290 / 390

300

8,150

+3.0%

Radeon RX 560 (móvel)

Radeon 760M

Radeon R9 380X

Radeon RX 470 (móvel)

7,915

0.0%

GeForce GTX 660 Ti

GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448

GeForce GTX 960

GeForce GTX 1650 (móvel)

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

GeForce GTX 1080 (móvel)

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

RTX 5000 Ada Generation Laptop 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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Quadro M5500

#70

Radeon PRO W6800

MSRP: $2249|Avg: $2249

91%

#126

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

1494%

#141

Quadro M5500

MSRP: $800|Avg: $200

100%

#142

Quadro K1200

MSRP: $300|Avg: $184

100%

#143

Quadro P400

MSRP: $169|Avg: $60

99%

#144

Radeon Pro WX 7100

MSRP: $799|Avg: $180

97%

#145

Quadro M520

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

97%

#146

Radeon Sky 500

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

96%

#147

Quadro M5000

MSRP: $999|Avg: $120

95%

#148

Radeon Pro WX 4100

MSRP: $399|Avg: $85

93%

#149

Quadro P4000 (móvel)

MSRP: $819|Avg: $290

93%

#151

FirePro M40003

MSRP: $150|Avg: $72

92%

#152

Radeon Pro 465

MSRP: $500|Avg: $150

92%

#154

Tesla P4

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $190

91%

#155

Radeon Pro WX 4150

MSRP: $300|Avg: $120

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Quadro M5500 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+3%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	Standard Size (275mm)	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 290 / 390 holds the technical lead. Priced at $65 (vs $200), it costs 68% less, resulting in a 216.8% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+216.8%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($65)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($200)

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.

Radeon R9 290 / 390 Benchmark Check

Quadro M5500 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 290 / 390 and Quadro M5500

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.

Quadro M5500

The Quadro M5500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 8 2016. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1140 MHz to 1165 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,915 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 scores 8,150 and the Quadro M5500 reaches 7,915 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Quadro M5500 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2,048 (Quadro M5500). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 4.772 TFLOPS (Quadro M5500). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1165 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
G3D Mark Score	8,150+3%	7,915
Architecture	GCN 2.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.12 TFLOPS+7%	4.772 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1165 MHz+17%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	640 KB	768 KB+20%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
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)

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro M5500 has 8 GB. The Quadro M5500 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 512-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2 MB (Quadro M5500) — the Quadro M5500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	512-bit+100%	256-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 12 (12_1) (Quadro M5500). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
DirectX	12.0	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs NVENC (Maxwell) (Quadro M5500). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC (Maxwell). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (Quadro M5500).

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
Encoder	VCE 2.0	NVENC (Maxwell)
Decoder	UVD 4.2	NVDEC (Maxwell)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	H.264,H.265,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 draws 300W versus the Quadro M5500's 150W — a 66.7% difference. The Quadro M5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 350W (Quadro M5500). 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 85.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Quadro M5500
TDP	300W	150W-50%
Recommended PSU	750W	350W-53%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	275mm	0mm
Height	109mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	95°C	85-11%
Perf/Watt	27.2	52.8+94%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 launched at $329 MSRP and currently averages $65, while the Quadro M5500 launched at $800 and now averages $200. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 costs 67.5% less ($135 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 125.4 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 39.6 (Quadro M5500) — the Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers 216.7% better value. The Quadro M5500 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).