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

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

AMD

Radeon R9 290 / 390

2015Boost: 1000 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design

2019Core: 600 MHzBoost: 1215 MHz

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.

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 RTX 3000 with Max-Q Design

#70
Radeon PRO W6800
MSRP: $2249|Avg: $2249
99%
#72
Quadro P4200
MSRP: $1200|Avg: $110
95%
#74
RTX 5000 Ada Generation
MSRP: $4000|Avg: $4095
83%
#135
Tesla K20m
MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55
1622%
#150
100%
#151
FirePro M40003
MSRP: $150|Avg: $72
100%
#152
Radeon Pro 465
MSRP: $500|Avg: $150
100%
#154
Tesla P4
MSRP: $1000|Avg: $190
99%
#155
Radeon Pro WX 4150
MSRP: $300|Avg: $120
97%
#158
Quadro M2200
MSRP: $500|Avg: $70
94%
#159
Quadro M4000
MSRP: $791|Avg: $350
93%
#160
FirePro W4100
MSRP: $183|Avg: $183
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

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.

InsightRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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

AMD

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.

NVIDIA

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.

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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)

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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.

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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.

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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).

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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.

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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).

FeatureRadeon R9 290 / 390Quadro 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