Radeon R9 M290X vs Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U

Radeon R9 M290X vs Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U Performance Spectrum

Radeon R9 M290X

4 GB 100

3,218

+0.4%

3,206

0.0%

About G3D Mark

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 Ryzen 5 6600U 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 Ryzen 5 6600U: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
✅Draws 100W instead of 132W, a 32W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌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$350 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 8.0 vs 9.2 G3D/$ ($400 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).

Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U

2021

Why buy it

✅42.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 13.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.2 vs 8.0 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌32% higher power demand at 132W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U 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 M290X instead at 3,218 vs 3,206, 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 Ryzen 5 6600U is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $350 vs $400, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 13.9% (9.2 vs 8.0), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 M290X vs Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U 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 Ryzen 5 6600U

The Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 13 2021. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1626 MHz to 2491 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 132W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,206 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M290X scores 3,218 and the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U reaches 3,206 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M290X is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,280 (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 1,792 (Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U). Raw compute: 2.304 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 8.928 TFLOPS (Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 2491 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U
G3D Mark Score	3,218	3,206
Architecture	GCN 1.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1280	1792+40%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.304 TFLOPS	8.928 TFLOPS+288%
Boost Clock	900 MHz	2491 MHz+177%
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	80	112+40%
L1 Cache	320 KB	512 KB+60%
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + RSR

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U
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)

The Radeon R9 M290X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 M290X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M290X and System on the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 2 MB (Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U) — the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+100%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	System
Bus Width	128-bit	System
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	2 MB+300%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M290X draws 100W versus the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U's 132W — a 27.6% difference. The Radeon R9 M290X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 350W (Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U). Power connectors: Mobile vs None.

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U
TDP	100W-24%	132W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Mobile	None
Perf/Watt	32.2+33%	24.3

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M290X came in at $400, while the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U launched at $350. On MSRP, Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U was 12.5% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 8.0 (Radeon R9 M290X) vs 9.2 (Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U) — the Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U offers 15% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U (2021 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon R9 M290X	Radeon Ryzen 5 6600U
MSRP	$400	$350-13%
Performance per Dollar	8.0	9.2+15%
Codename	Neptune	Navi 23
Release	January 9 2014	October 13 2021
Ranking	#566	#150

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