Radeon R9 290X vs GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
Radeon R9 290X
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GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
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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 GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R9 290X is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel).
| Insight | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+3.3%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.3%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / Pascal (2016−2021)) |
| 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) | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon R9 290X 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 290X and GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
Radeon R9 290X
The Radeon R9 290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 24 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,426 points. Launch price was $549.
GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)
The GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 15 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1708 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 80W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,160 points. Launch price was $237.11.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon R9 290X scores 8,426 and the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) reaches 8,160 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290X is built on GCN 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 1,280 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Raw compute: 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X) vs 4.275 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Boost clocks: 947 MHz vs 1708 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 8,426+3% | 8,160 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | Pascal |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 16 nm |
| Shading Units | 2816+120% | 1280 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 5.632 TFLOPS+32% | 4.275 TFLOPS |
| Boost Clock | 947 MHz | 1708 MHz+80% |
| ROPs | 64+33% | 48 |
| TMUs | 176+120% | 80 |
| L1 Cache | 704 KB+47% | 480 KB |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1.5 MB+50% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR 3 (Compatible) |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | Standard |
Video Memory (VRAM)
Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) vs 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)) — a 66.7% advantage for the Radeon R9 290X. Bus width: 512-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) vs 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)) — the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 320 GB/s+67% | 192 GB/s |
| Bus Width | 512-bit+167% | 192-bit |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 1.5 MB+50% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.0 | 12.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 6+50% | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs NVENC 6.0 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs PureVideo HD VP8. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | VCE 2.0 | NVENC 6.0 |
| Decoder | UVD 4.2 | PureVideo HD VP8 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 | MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon R9 290X draws 350W versus the GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)'s 80W — a 125.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290X) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel)). 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 85°C.
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 350W | 80W-77% |
| 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 | 85°C-11% |
| Perf/Watt | 24.1 | 102.0+323% |
Value Analysis
The GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2013).
| Feature | Radeon R9 290X | GeForce GTX 1060 (móvel) |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $549 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $60 | — |
| Codename | Hawaii | GP106 |
| Release | October 24 2013 | August 15 2016 |
| Ranking | #342 | #343 |
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