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 R9 290 / 390 vs Radeon RX 470/570 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 R9 290 / 390 vs Radeon RX 470/570: 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 R9 290 / 390

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 470/570 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
83.8% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.8 vs 44.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Radeon RX 470/570

2016

Why buy it

✅9.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 79% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.3 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 300W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 470/570 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 9.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 290 / 390 instead at 8,150 vs 7,935, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon R9 290 / 390 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 RX 470/570 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $150 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 79% (44.3 vs 24.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 470/570 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R9 290 / 390 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 290 / 390 vs Radeon RX 470/570 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 470/570

The Radeon RX 470/570 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 4 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 926 MHz to 1206 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,935 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 scores 8,150 and the Radeon RX 470/570 reaches 7,935 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 470/570 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 470/570). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 4.94 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 470/570). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1206 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
G3D Mark Score	8,150+3%	7,935
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.12 TFLOPS+4%	4.94 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1206 MHz+21%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+25%	128
L1 Cache	640 KB+25%	512 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 470/570 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 470/570 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 470/570) — a 42.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 290 / 390. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290 / 390 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 470/570. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 470/570) — the Radeon RX 470/570 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+43%	224 GB/s
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 12.0 (Radeon RX 470/570). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
DirectX	12.0	12.0
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 VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 470/570). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 470/570).

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.4
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 6.3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 draws 300W versus the Radeon RX 470/570's 120W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon RX 470/570 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 450W (Radeon RX 470/570). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 6-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
TDP	300W	120W-60%
Recommended PSU	750W	450W-40%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	6-pin
Length	275mm	240mm
Height	109mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	80°C-16%
Perf/Watt	27.2	66.1+143%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290 / 390 came in at $329, while the Radeon RX 470/570 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 470/570 was 45.6% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 24.8 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 44.3 (Radeon RX 470/570) — the Radeon RX 470/570 offers 78.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 470/570 (2016 vs 2015).

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX 470/570
MSRP	$329	$179-46%
Performance per Dollar	24.8	44.3+79%
Codename	Grenada	Ellesmere
Release	June 18 2015	August 4 2016
Ranking	#296	#315

Search Radeon R9 290 / 390 on Amazon

Search Radeon RX 470/570 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.