Radeon RX 470/570 vs Radeon R9 290 / 390

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 470/570 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.7%)	✅Leading raw performance (+2.7%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem	✨ FSR 3 / AFMF Support	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	Standard Size (275mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon RX 470/570 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon RX 470/570 holds the technical lead. Priced at $40 (vs $65), it costs 38% less, resulting in a 58.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+58.2%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($40)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($65)

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 RX 470/570 Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 / 390 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 470/570 and Radeon R9 290 / 390

Radeon RX 470/570

The Radeon RX 470/570 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 4 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 926 MHz to 1206 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,935 points. Launch price was $179.

Radeon R9 290 / 390

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,150 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 470/570 scores 7,935 and the Radeon R9 290 / 390 reaches 8,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 470/570 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Raw compute: 4.94 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Boost clocks: 1206 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
G3D Mark Score	7,935	8,150+3%
Architecture	GCN 4.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	2560+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.94 TFLOPS	5.12 TFLOPS+4%
Boost Clock	1206 MHz+21%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	128	160+25%
L1 Cache	512 KB	640 KB+25%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 470/570 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 470/570 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — a 42.9% advantage for the Radeon R9 290 / 390. Bus width: 256-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon RX 470/570 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	320 GB/s+43%
Bus Width	256-bit	512-bit+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 470/570) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 470/570) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390).

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 470/570 draws 120W versus the Radeon R9 290 / 390's 300W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon RX 470/570 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 275mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 95°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 470/570	Radeon R9 290 / 390
TDP	120W-60%	300W
Recommended PSU	450W-40%	750W
Power Connector	6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	240mm	275mm
Height	111mm	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C-16%	95°C
Perf/Watt	66.1+143%	27.2

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 470/570 launched at $179 MSRP and currently averages $40, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 launched at $329 and now averages $65. The Radeon RX 470/570 costs 38.5% less ($25 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 198.4 (Radeon RX 470/570) vs 125.4 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon RX 470/570 offers 58.2% better value. The Radeon RX 470/570 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).