CPU
GPU
Radeon R9 290
Popular choices:
Radeon Pro V520
Popular choices:
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 Radeon Pro V520
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
⚠️ Generational Difference
The Radeon Pro V520 is significantly newer (2020 vs 2013). The Radeon Pro V520 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 290 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R9 290 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon Pro V520.
| Insight | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.3%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+0%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | Standard Size (275mm) | Standard Size (267mm) |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R9 290 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $300 for the Radeon Pro V520, it costs 83% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 513.8% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+513.8%) | ❌Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅More affordable ($50) | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($300) |
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 and Radeon Pro V520
Radeon R9 290
The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.
Radeon Pro V520
The Radeon Pro V520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1600 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,000 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 290 scores 8,184 and the Radeon Pro V520 reaches 8,000 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon Pro V520 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290) vs 2,304 (Radeon Pro V520). Raw compute: 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290) vs 7.373 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro V520).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,184+2% | 8,000 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | RDNA 1.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 2560+11% | 2304 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 4.849 TFLOPS | 7.373 TFLOPS+52% |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
| TMUs | 160+11% | 144 |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 4 MB+300% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: 512-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) vs 4 MB (Radeon Pro V520) — the Radeon Pro V520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Bus Width | 512-bit+300% | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 4 MB+300% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs 12.1 (Radeon Pro V520). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 0.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.0 | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.2+9% | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 6 | 0 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon Pro V520). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon Pro V520).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | VCN 2.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | VCN 2.0 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 | H.264,H.265,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 290 draws 275W versus the Radeon Pro V520's 225W — a 20% difference. The Radeon Pro V520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290) vs 350W (Radeon Pro V520). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 275mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 85°C.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 275W | 225W-18% |
| Recommended PSU | 750W | 350W-53% |
| Power Connector | 6-pin + 8-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Length | 275mm | 267mm |
| Height | 109mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 95°C | 85°C-11% |
| Perf/Watt | 29.8 | 35.6+19% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R9 290 launched at $399 MSRP and currently averages $50, while the Radeon Pro V520 launched at $800 and now averages $300. The Radeon R9 290 costs 83.3% less ($250 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 163.7 (Radeon R9 290) vs 26.7 (Radeon Pro V520) — the Radeon R9 290 offers 513.1% better value. The Radeon Pro V520 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290 | Radeon Pro V520 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $399-50% | $800 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $50-83% | $300 |
| Performance per Dollar | 163.7+513% | 26.7 |
| Codename | Hawaii | Navi 12 |
| Release | November 5 2013 | December 1 2020 |
| Ranking | #316 | #218 |
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