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.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs Radeon RX 5500M 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 M290X Crossfire vs Radeon RX 5500M: 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 M290X Crossfire

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5500M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌135.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 85W.

Radeon RX 5500M

2019

Why buy it

✅32.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 85W instead of 200W, a 115W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 5500M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 32.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire instead at 6,000 vs 5,954, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon RX 5500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire has no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 5500M has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs Radeon RX 5500M Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500M is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 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. Memory bus width is 512-bit (Dual) on the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500M.

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

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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

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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

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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%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500M (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	Radeon RX 5500M
MSRP	$800	—
Codename	Neptune CF	Navi 14
Release	March 1 2014	October 7 2019
Ranking	#348	#400

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