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 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 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

2013

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.
❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
130.6% HIGHER MSRP
$399 MSRPvs$173 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 48.3 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $173 MSRP).

Radeon RX590 GME

2018

Why buy it

✅26.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $226 less on MSRP ($173 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 135.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.3 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($173 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Radeon R9 290 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 26.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2% in PassMark G3D (8,349 vs 8,184), 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 2013. 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 $226 cheaper on MSRP at $173 vs $399, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 135.3% (48.3 vs 20.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 290 vs Radeon RX590 GME Technical Specifications

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

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 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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290 scores 8,184 and the Radeon RX590 GME reaches 8,349 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290 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) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX590 GME). Raw compute: 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX590 GME).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX590 GME
G3D Mark Score	8,184	8,349+2%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2560+11%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.849 TFLOPS	7.119 TFLOPS+47%
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

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290	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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 290 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 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX590 GME. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX590 GME) — the Radeon RX590 GME has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	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) 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	Radeon RX590 GME
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) 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) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX590 GME).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 draws 275W versus the Radeon RX590 GME's 175W — a 44.4% difference. The Radeon RX590 GME is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290) 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	Radeon RX590 GME
TDP	275W	175W-36%
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	29.8	47.7+60%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290 came in at $399, while the Radeon RX590 GME launched at $173. On MSRP, Radeon RX590 GME was 56.6% cheaper ($226 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX590 GME) — the Radeon RX590 GME offers 135.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX590 GME (2018 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon RX590 GME
MSRP	$399	$173-57%
Performance per Dollar	20.5	48.3+136%
Codename	Hawaii	Polaris 30
Release	November 5 2013	November 15 2018
Ranking	#316	#285

Search Radeon R9 290 on Amazon

Search Radeon RX590 GME 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.