Radeon R9 M290X vs Radeon R9 M470X

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 vs Radeon R9 M470X 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 vs Radeon R9 M470X: 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

2014

Why buy it

✅42.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
14.3% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$350 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon R9 M470X

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 M290X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 M290X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 42.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 M470X instead at 3,244 vs 3,218, 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 R9 M290X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 M470X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $350 vs $400, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 15.2% (9.3 vs 8.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M470X is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon R9 M290X has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 M290X vs Radeon R9 M470X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 M290X

The Radeon R9 M290X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 850 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,218 points.

Radeon R9 M470X

The Radeon R9 M470X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,244 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M290X scores 3,218 and the Radeon R9 M470X reaches 3,244 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M290X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R9 M470X uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 896 (Radeon R9 M470X). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470X). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1100 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon R9 M470X
G3D Mark Score	3,218	3,244
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1280+43%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS+17%	1.971 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	900 MHz	1100 MHz+22%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	80+43%	56
L1 Cache	320 KB+43%	224 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon R9 M470X
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X and 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M470X. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470X) — the Radeon R9 M290X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon R9 M470X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M290X draws 100W versus the Radeon R9 M470X's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M470X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 350W (Radeon R9 M470X). Power connectors: Mobile vs Mobile.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon R9 M470X
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	Mobile
Perf/Watt	32.2	43.3+34%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M290X came in at $400, while the Radeon R9 M470X launched at $350. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M470X was 12.5% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 9.3 (Radeon R9 M470X) — the Radeon R9 M470X offers 16.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M470X (2016 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon R9 M470X
MSRP	$400	$350-13%
Performance per Dollar	8.0	9.3+16%
Codename	Neptune	Emerald
Release	January 9 2014	May 15 2016
Ranking	#566	#563

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