Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU

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 RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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 RTX A500 Embedded GPU: 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).
✅Measures 1mm instead of 82mm, a 81mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A500 Embedded GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌900% higher power demand at 200W vs 20W.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅47.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 20W instead of 200W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 7.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
❌8100% longer card at 82mm vs 1mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 47.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.3% in PassMark G3D (6,197 vs 6,000), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX A500 Embedded GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 16 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

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, RTX A500 Embedded GPU has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire vs RTX A500 Embedded GPU 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.

RTX A500 Embedded GPU

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 435 MHz to 1335 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 20W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,197 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire scores 6,000 and the RTX A500 Embedded GPU reaches 6,197 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire is built on GCN while the RTX A500 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 2,048 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1335 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	6,000	6,197+3%
Architecture	GCN	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1335 MHz+48%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX A500 Embedded GPU gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 512-bit (Dual) on the Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire and 128-bit on the RTX A500 Embedded GPU.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	512-bit (Dual)+300%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 12_2 (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
DirectX	12	12_2
Max Displays	0	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 1.0 (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs NVENC 7th Gen (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Decoder: UVD 3.1 vs NVDEC 5th Gen.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
Encoder	VCE 1.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	UVD 3.1	NVDEC 5th Gen

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire draws 200W versus the RTX A500 Embedded GPU's 20W — a 163.6% difference. The RTX A500 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire) vs 350W (RTX A500 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 82mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
TDP	200W	20W-90%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	PCIe-powered
Length	1mm	82mm
Slots	0	0
Perf/Watt	30.0	309.9+933%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX A500 Embedded GPU (2022 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire	RTX A500 Embedded GPU
MSRP	$800	—
Codename	Neptune CF	GA107S
Release	March 1 2014	March 30 2022
Ranking	#348	#389

Search Radeon R9 M290X Crossfire on Amazon

Search RTX A500 Embedded GPU on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.