Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs Radeon RX 5500M

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 Radeon RX 5500M is on rank 46, so the Radeon RX 5500M 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 Radeon RX 5500M

#16

Radeon RX 7600S

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

97%

#36

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

182%

#38

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

165%

#39

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

165%

#43

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

150%

#44

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

149%

#46

Radeon RX 5500M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

100%

#48

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

99%

#49

GeForce 610M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $20

98%

#50

GeForce GTX 1650 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $75

98%

#53

GeForce GTX 980M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

95%

#54

GeForce GTX 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

94%

#58

GeForce 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon RX 5500M uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon RX 5500M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.8% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon RX 5500M.

Insight	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+0.8%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.8%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / GCN (2012−2015))	RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon RX 5500M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $100 versus $200 for the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire, it costs 50% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 98.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+98.5%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($200)	✅More affordable ($100)

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

Radeon RX 5500M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire and Radeon RX 5500M

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.

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire scores 6,000 and the Radeon RX 5500M reaches 5,954 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is built on GCN while the Radeon RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
G3D Mark Score	6,000	5,954
Architecture	GCN	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2560+82%	1408
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1645 MHz+83%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 307.2 GB/s (Dual) (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) — a 37.1% advantage for the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire. Bus width: 512-bit (Dual) vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	307.2 GB/s (Dual)+37%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	512-bit (Dual)+300%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 12 (Radeon RX 5500M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
DirectX	12	12
Max Displays	0	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs VCN 2.0.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
Encoder	VCE 1.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 3.1	VCN 2.0
Codecs	—	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5500M's 85W — a 80.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5500M). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
TDP	200W	85W-57%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	PCIe-powered
Length	1mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	30.0	70.0+133%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 5500M costs 50% less ($100 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 30.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 59.5 (Radeon RX 5500M) — the Radeon RX 5500M offers 98.3% better value. The Radeon RX 5500M is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2014).