Radeon R9 295X2
VS
Radeon R9 290X

Radeon R9 295X2 vs Radeon R9 290X

CPUCPUGPUGPU
AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

2014Boost: 1018 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4060•RTX 3060•RTX 4060 Ti•RTX 3070•GTX 1650•RTX 3060 Ti•RTX 4070•RTX 3050•RX 7600•RTX 4070 Ti
VS
AMD

Radeon R9 290X

2013Boost: 947 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4060•RTX 3060•RTX 4060 Ti•RTX 3070•GTX 1650•RTX 3060 Ti•RTX 4070•RTX 3050•RX 7600•RTX 4070 Ti

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon R9 295X2
500
8,734
+3.7%
brand logoRadeon R9 270X
brand logoRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
brand logoRadeon R9 285
brand logoRadeon 880M
brand logoRadeon RX 5700M
brand logoRadeon 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
brand logoRadeon RX 7800 XT
Radeon R9 290X
350
8,426
0.0%
brand logoRadeon R9 Nano
brand logoRadeon HD 6970M Crossfire
brand logoRadeon RX Vega M GH
brand logoRadeon RX 580X
brand logoRadeon RX 6850M
brand logoRadeon RX 8050S
brand logoRadeon RX 9060 XT 8GB
brand logoRadeon RX 7800 XT

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 295X2 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (8 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 290X.

InsightRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
Performance
✅Leading raw performance (+3.7%)
❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.7%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM
✅ More VRAM (+100%)
❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
Standard Size (307mm)
Standard Size (275mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 290X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R9 290X holds the technical lead. Priced at $60 (vs $200), it costs 70% less, resulting in a 221.6% higher cost efficiency score.

InsightRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
Cost Efficiency
❌Lower cost efficiency
✅Better overall value (+221.6%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️Higher upfront cost ($200)
✅More affordable ($60)

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.

Radeon R9 295X2 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low118 FPS
medium94 FPS
high71 FPS
ultra63 FPS
1440p
low94 FPS
medium74 FPS
high58 FPS
ultra48 FPS
4K
low47 FPS
medium39 FPS
high31 FPS
ultra23 FPS
Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080p
low116 FPS
medium92 FPS
high70 FPS
ultra55 FPS
1440p
low76 FPS
medium60 FPS
high47 FPS
ultra35 FPS
4K
low38 FPS
medium31 FPS
high25 FPS
ultra17 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low214 FPS
medium178 FPS
high145 FPS
ultra101 FPS
1440p
low142 FPS
medium120 FPS
high99 FPS
ultra74 FPS
4K
low77 FPS
medium63 FPS
high57 FPS
ultra45 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080p
low199 FPS
medium170 FPS
high138 FPS
ultra91 FPS
1440p
low126 FPS
medium110 FPS
high91 FPS
ultra65 FPS
4K
low70 FPS
medium59 FPS
high52 FPS
ultra39 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low393 FPS
medium314 FPS
high262 FPS
ultra197 FPS
1440p
low295 FPS
medium236 FPS
high197 FPS
ultra147 FPS
4K
low197 FPS
medium157 FPS
high131 FPS
ultra98 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080p
low379 FPS
medium303 FPS
high253 FPS
ultra190 FPS
1440p
low284 FPS
medium228 FPS
high190 FPS
ultra142 FPS
4K
low190 FPS
medium152 FPS
high126 FPS
ultra95 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080p
low276 FPS
medium225 FPS
high198 FPS
ultra147 FPS
1440p
low173 FPS
medium138 FPS
high110 FPS
ultra83 FPS
4K
low88 FPS
medium71 FPS
high56 FPS
ultra42 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080p
low130 FPS
medium114 FPS
high94 FPS
ultra73 FPS
1440p
low82 FPS
medium70 FPS
high52 FPS
ultra41 FPS
4K
low47 FPS
medium39 FPS
high23 FPS
ultra17 FPS
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 295X2 and Radeon R9 290X

AMD

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.

AMD

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

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

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
G3D Mark Score
8,734+4%
8,426
Architecture
GCN 2.0
GCN 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2816 ×2
2816
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.733 TFLOPS ×2+2%
5.632 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1018 MHz+7%
947 MHz
ROPs
64 ×2
64
TMUs
176 ×2
176
L1 Cache
704 KB
704 KB
L2 Cache
1 MB
1 MB
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
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)

The Radeon R9 295X2 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290X has 4 GB. The Radeon R9 295X2 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290X) — a 900.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Bus width: 512-bit x2 vs 512-bit.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
320 GB/s x2
320 GB/s
Bus Width
512-bit x2
512-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB
1 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

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

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
DirectX
12.0
12.0
Vulkan
1.1
1.1
OpenGL
4.3
4.6+7%
Max Displays
6
6
🎬

Media & Encoding

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

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
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 295X2 draws 500W versus the Radeon R9 290X's 350W — a 35.3% difference. The Radeon R9 290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290X). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 307mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 95°C.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
TDP
500W
350W-30%
Recommended PSU
1000W
750W-25%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
6-pin + 8-pin
Length
307mm
275mm
Height
114mm
109mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65°C-32%
95°C
Perf/Watt
17.5
24.1+38%
💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499 MSRP and currently averages $200, while the Radeon R9 290X launched at $549 and now averages $60. The Radeon R9 290X costs 70% less ($140 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 43.7 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 140.4 (Radeon R9 290X) — the Radeon R9 290X offers 221.3% better value. The Radeon R9 295X2 is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2013).

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon R9 290X
MSRP
$1499
$549-63%
Avg Price (30d)
$200
$60-70%
Performance per Dollar
43.7
140.4+221%
Codename
Vesuvius
Hawaii
Release
April 29 2014
October 24 2013
Ranking
#303
#342