Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs FirePro W9000

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. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is positioned at rank 408 and the FirePro W9000 is on rank 317, so the FirePro W9000 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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

Performance Per Dollar Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

#398

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

1448%

#400

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

1312%

#401

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

1309%

#405

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

1190%

#406

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

1182%

#408

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

MSRP: $800|Avg: $200

100%

#409

GeForce GTX 285M SLI

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

98%

#410

Radeon R7 M260X

MSRP: $139|Avg: $35

97%

#411

Radeon HD 8570D + HD 6570 Dual

MSRP: $120|Avg: $25

96%

#412

Intel UHD Graphics 615

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

96%

#413

Radeon R7 A365

MSRP: $109|Avg: $55

96%

#414

Radeon 3015e

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

95%

#415

Radeon HD 7620G

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

95%

#416

Radeon R9 M390X

MSRP: $550|Avg: $120

94%

#417

Arc 8-Core iGPU

MSRP: $503|Avg: $400

93%

#418

Mobility Radeon HD 4670

MSRP: $67|Avg: $20

92%

#419

Radeon HD 8570D + HD 8570 Dual

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

92%

#420

Radeon R9 M385

MSRP: $300|Avg: $60

92%

#421

Radeon R5 235

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

91%

#422

Radeon R9 M375X

MSRP: $250|Avg: $50

91%

#423

Radeon HD 6620G

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar FirePro W9000

#302

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

9593%

#317

FirePro W9000

MSRP: $3999|Avg: $150

100%

#318

GRID M60-4Q

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $120

99%

#319

Quadro K6000

MSRP: $5265|Avg: $300

99%

#320

FirePro V8800

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $100

99%

#321

NVS 510

MSRP: $449|Avg: $15

98%

#322

GRID M60-1Q

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $50

96%

#323

FirePro M2000

MSRP: $300|Avg: $50

92%

#324

GRID K280Q

MSRP: $2000|Avg: $50

92%

#325

Tesla K20c

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $500

90%

#326

GRID M6-1Q

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $100

90%

#327

Tesla C2050 / C2070

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $30

89%

#328

Quadro FX 380

MSRP: $129|Avg: $15

89%

#329

FirePro M7740

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

86%

#330

Quadro FX 570

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

84%

#331

RTXA5000-24Q

MSRP: $3721|Avg: $2100

84%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The FirePro W9000 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.6% higher G3D Mark score and 50% more VRAM (6 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire.

Insight	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.6%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN (2012−2015))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+50%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	Standard Size (279mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The FirePro W9000 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the FirePro W9000 holds the technical lead. Priced at $150 (vs $200), it costs 25% less, resulting in a 36.8% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+36.8%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($200)	✅More affordable ($150)

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 M290X Crossfire Benchmark Check

FirePro W9000 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire and FirePro W9000

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2014. It features the GCN architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,000 points.

FirePro W9000

The FirePro W9000 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 14 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 975 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 274W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,157 points. Launch price was $3,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire scores 6,000 and the FirePro W9000 reaches 6,157 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is built on GCN while the FirePro W9000 uses GCN 1.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 2,048 (FirePro W9000).

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
G3D Mark Score	6,000	6,157+3%
Architecture	GCN	GCN 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
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	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the FirePro W9000 has 6 GB. The FirePro W9000 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 512-bit (Dual) vs 256-bit.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	512-bit (Dual)+100%	256-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 12 (FirePro W9000). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
DirectX	12	12
Max Displays	0	6

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs VCE 1.0 (FirePro W9000). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs UVD 3.2.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCE 1.0
Decoder	UVD 3.1	UVD 3.2
Codecs	—	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire draws 200W versus the FirePro W9000's 274W — a 31.2% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 350W (FirePro W9000). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 279mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	FirePro W9000
TDP	200W-27%	274W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	PCIe-powered
Length	1mm	279mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	93°C
Perf/Watt	30.0+33%	22.5

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire launched at $800 MSRP and currently averages $200, while the FirePro W9000 launched at $3999 and now averages $150. The FirePro W9000 costs 25% less ($50 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 30.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 41.0 (FirePro W9000) — the FirePro W9000 offers 36.7% better value. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is the newer GPU (2014 vs 2012).