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 RX 580 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 RX 580: 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

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 580 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
139.7% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$229 MSRP

Radeon RX 580

2017

Why buy it

✅21.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $320 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 150.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.4 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 580 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4.4% in PassMark G3D (8,799 vs 8,426), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 580 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 290X has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2017 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 RX 580 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $320 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $549, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 150.4% (38.4 vs 15.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 290X vs Radeon RX 580 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 RX 580

The Radeon RX 580 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1257 MHz to 1340 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,799 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 290X scores 8,426 and the Radeon RX 580 reaches 8,799 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 290X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 580 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 580). Raw compute: 5.632 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290X) vs 6.175 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580). Boost clocks: 947 MHz vs 1340 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
G3D Mark Score	8,426	8,799+4%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2816+22%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.632 TFLOPS	6.175 TFLOPS+10%
Boost Clock	947 MHz	1340 MHz+41%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	176+22%	144
L1 Cache	704 KB+22%	576 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 290X does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
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 RX 580 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 580 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 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 580) — a 25% advantage for the Radeon R9 290X. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290X and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon R9 290X) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 580) — the Radeon RX 580 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s+25%	256 GB/s
Bus Width	512-bit+100%	256-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
DirectX	12.0	12
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	6+50%	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290X) vs VCE 3.0 (Radeon RX 580). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290X) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580).

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 3.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 6.3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290X draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 580's 185W — a 61.7% difference. The Radeon RX 580 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290X) vs 500W (Radeon RX 580). 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 75°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
TDP	350W	185W-47%
Recommended PSU	750W	500W-33%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	275mm	241mm
Height	109mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	75°C-21%
Perf/Watt	24.1	47.6+98%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290X came in at $549, while the Radeon RX 580 launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon RX 580 was 58.3% cheaper ($320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.3 (Radeon R9 290X) vs 38.4 (Radeon RX 580) — the Radeon RX 580 offers 151% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 580 (2017 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 290X	Radeon RX 580
MSRP	$549	$229-58%
Performance per Dollar	15.3	38.4+151%
Codename	Hawaii	Polaris 20
Release	October 24 2013	April 18 2017
Ranking	#342	#301

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