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 290X vs Radeon R9 295X2 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 290X vs Radeon R9 295X2: 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 290X

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $950 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 163.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.3 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 350W instead of 500W, a 150W reduction.
✅Measures 275mm instead of 307mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 295X2 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.

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

✅22.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
173% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌42.9% higher power demand at 500W vs 350W.
❌11.6% longer card at 307mm vs 275mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 295X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.7% in PassMark G3D (8,734 vs 8,426), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon R9 290X 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 R9 290X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $950 cheaper on MSRP at $549 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 163.4% (15.3 vs 5.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 295X2 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 290X vs Radeon R9 295X2 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290X scores 8,426 and the Radeon R9 295X2 reaches 8,734 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 295X2 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2). Raw compute: 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X) vs 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2). Boost clocks: 947 MHz vs 1018 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
G3D Mark Score	8,426	8,734+4%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2816	2816 ×2
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.632 TFLOPS	5.733 TFLOPS ×2+2%
Boost Clock	947 MHz	1018 MHz+7%
ROPs	64	64 ×2
TMUs	176	176 ×2
L1 Cache	704 KB	704 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
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 290X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 295X2 carries 8 GB. Radeon R9 295X2 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 290X) vs 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) — a 900.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290X and 512-bit x2 on the Radeon R9 295X2.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	320 GB/s x2
Bus Width	512-bit	512-bit x2
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.1	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+7%	4.3
Max Displays	6	6

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2).

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290X draws 350W versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 500W — a 35.3% difference. The Radeon R9 290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290X) vs 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 307mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 65°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
TDP	350W-30%	500W
Recommended PSU	750W-25%	1000W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	275mm	307mm
Height	109mm	114mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	65°C-32%
Perf/Watt	24.1+38%	17.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290X came in at $549, while the Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499. On MSRP, Radeon R9 290X was 63.4% cheaper ($950 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) — the Radeon R9 290X offers 163.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 295X2 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon R9 295X2
MSRP	$549-63%	$1499
Performance per Dollar	15.3+164%	5.8
Codename	Hawaii	Vesuvius
Release	October 24 2013	April 29 2014
Ranking	#342	#303

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