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 RX590 GME 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 RX590 GME: 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 RX590 GME 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.
❌
90.2% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$173 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 24.8 vs 48.3 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $173 MSRP).

Radeon RX590 GME

2018

Why buy it

✅28.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $156 less on MSRP ($173 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 94.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.3 vs 24.8 G3D/$ ($173 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Radeon R9 290 / 390 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon RX590 GME is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX590 GME is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 28.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (8,349 vs 8,150), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX590 GME is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX590 GME makes the most sense to buy today. It is $156 cheaper on MSRP at $173 vs $329, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 94.8% (48.3 vs 24.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 290 / 390 vs Radeon RX590 GME 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 RX590 GME

The Radeon RX590 GME is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1469 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,349 points. Launch price was $279.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 scores 8,150 and the Radeon RX590 GME reaches 8,349 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX590 GME uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX590 GME). Raw compute: 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX590 GME). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
G3D Mark Score	8,150	8,349+2%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+11%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.12 TFLOPS	7.119 TFLOPS+39%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1545 MHz+55%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+11%	144
L1 Cache	640 KB+11%	576 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX590 GME carries 8 GB. Radeon RX590 GME gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290 / 390 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX590 GME. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX590 GME) — the Radeon RX590 GME has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	512-bit+300%	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX590 GME). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX590 GME). 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 RX590 GME).

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
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

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 draws 300W versus the Radeon RX590 GME's 175W — a 52.6% difference. The Radeon RX590 GME is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 500W (Radeon RX590 GME). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
TDP	300W	175W-42%
Recommended PSU	750W	500W-33%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	275mm	241mm
Height	109mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	80°C-16%
Perf/Watt	27.2	47.7+75%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290 / 390 came in at $329, while the Radeon RX590 GME launched at $173. On MSRP, Radeon RX590 GME was 47.4% cheaper ($156 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 24.8 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX590 GME) — the Radeon RX590 GME offers 94.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX590 GME (2018 vs 2015).

Feature	Radeon R9 290 / 390	Radeon RX590 GME
MSRP	$329	$173-47%
Performance per Dollar	24.8	48.3+95%
Codename	Grenada	Polaris 30
Release	June 18 2015	November 15 2018
Ranking	#296	#285

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