
Radeon R9 290 / 390 vs Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design

Radeon R9 290 / 390
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Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design
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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 Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design uses modern memory architecture. The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design 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 Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.4%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.4%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | Turing (2018−2022) (12nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | ✨ DLSS 2 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 Radeon R9 290 / 390 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 Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design

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 RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design
The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 27 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 600 MHz to 1215 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 60W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 36 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,119 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 scores 8,150 and the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design reaches 8,119 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2,304 (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 5.599 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1215 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,150 | 8,119 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | Turing |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 12 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560+11% | 2304 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.12 TFLOPS | 5.599 TFLOPS+9% |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | 1215 MHz+22% |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
| TMUs | 160+11% | 144 |
| L1 Cache | 0.63 MB | 2.3 MB+265% |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 4 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | DLSS 2.0 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 / AFMF (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | NVIDIA Reflex |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design has 6 GB. The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design offers 50% 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 4 MB (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design) — the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 6 GB+50% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 512-bit+100% | 256-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 4 MB+300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 12 Ultimate (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.0 | 12 Ultimate |
| 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 7th Gen (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs NVDEC 4th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs H.265,H.264 (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | NVENC 7th Gen |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | NVDEC 4th Gen |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 | H.265,H.264 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 290 / 390 draws 300W versus the Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design's 60W — a 133.3% difference. The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 500W (Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design). 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 Unknown.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 300W | 60W-80% |
| 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 | Unknown-100% |
| Perf/Watt | 27.2 | 135.3+397% |
Value Analysis
The Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2015).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 / 390 | Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $65 | — |
| Codename | Grenada | TU106 |
| Release | June 18 2015 | May 27 2019 |
| Ranking | #296 | #313 |
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