Radeon RX 9070 XT vs R9 290X
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon R9 290X and Radeon RX 9070 XT, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
RX 9070 XT outperforms R9 290X by a whopping 258% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 306 | 31 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 4.26 | 59.86 |
| Power efficiency | 4.55 | 15.55 |
| Architecture | GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) | RDNA 4.0 (2025) |
| GPU code name | Hawaii | Navi 48 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Design | reference | no data |
| Release date | 24 October 2013 (11 years ago) | 6 March 2025 (recently) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $549 | $599 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
The higher the performance-to-price ratio, the better. We use the manufacturer's recommended prices for comparison.
RX 9070 XT has 1305% better value for money than R9 290X.
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 2816 | 4096 |
| Core clock speed | no data | 1660 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 947 MHz | 2970 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 6,200 million | 53,900 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 28 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 304 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 176.0 | 760.3 |
| Floating-point processing power | 5.632 TFLOPS | 48.66 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 64 | 128 |
| TMUs | 176 | 256 |
| Tensor Cores | no data | 128 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | no data | 64 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Bus support | PCIe 3.0 | no data |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Length | 275 mm | 267 mm |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory bus width | 512 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 1250 MHz | 2518 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 320 GB/s | 644.6 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
| Resizable BAR | - | + |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1a |
| Eyefinity | + | - |
| HDMI | + | + |
| DisplayPort support | + | - |
Supported technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| AppAcceleration | + | - |
| CrossFire | + | - |
| FreeSync | + | - |
| HD3D | + | - |
| LiquidVR | + | - |
| TressFX | + | - |
| TrueAudio | + | - |
| UVD | + | - |
| DDMA audio | + | no data |
API and SDK compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | DirectX® 12 | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Shader Model | 6.3 | 6.8 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Vulkan | + | 1.3 |
| DLSS | - | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 86
−249%
| 300−350
+249%
|
| 4K | 50
−240%
| 170−180
+240%
|
Cost per frame, $
| 1080p | 6.38
−220%
| 2.00
+220%
|
| 4K | 10.98
−212%
| 3.52
+212%
|
- RX 9070 XT has 220% lower cost per frame in 1080p
- RX 9070 XT has 212% lower cost per frame in 4K
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
−203%
|
300−350
+203%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 35−40
−324%
|
160−170
+324%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 35−40
−306%
|
140−150
+306%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
−128%
|
170−180
+128%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
−203%
|
300−350
+203%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 35−40
−324%
|
160−170
+324%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 60−65
−184%
|
170−180
+184%
|
| Fortnite | 95−100
−211%
|
300−350
+211%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 70−75
−242%
|
250−260
+242%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 55−60
−221%
|
180−190
+221%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 35−40
−306%
|
140−150
+306%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 65−70
−160%
|
170−180
+160%
|
| Valorant | 130−140
−162%
|
350−400
+162%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
−128%
|
170−180
+128%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 100−110
−203%
|
300−350
+203%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 280
+0.7%
|
270−280
−0.7%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 35−40
−324%
|
160−170
+324%
|
| Dota 2 | 100−110
−233%
|
350−400
+233%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 60−65
−184%
|
170−180
+184%
|
| Fortnite | 95−100
−211%
|
300−350
+211%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 70−75
−242%
|
250−260
+242%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 55−60
−221%
|
180−190
+221%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 67
−149%
|
160−170
+149%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 35−40
−306%
|
140−150
+306%
|
| Metro Exodus | 35−40
−315%
|
160−170
+315%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 65−70
−160%
|
170−180
+160%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 75
−256%
|
260−270
+256%
|
| Valorant | 130−140
−162%
|
350−400
+162%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 75−80
−128%
|
170−180
+128%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 35−40
−324%
|
160−170
+324%
|
| Dota 2 | 136
−231%
|
450−500
+231%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 60−65
−184%
|
170−180
+184%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 70−75
−242%
|
250−260
+242%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 35−40
−306%
|
140−150
+306%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 44
−302%
|
170−180
+302%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 29
−821%
|
260−270
+821%
|
| Valorant | 130−140
−162%
|
350−400
+162%
|
Full HD
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 95−100
−211%
|
300−350
+211%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 35−40
−427%
|
190−200
+427%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 130−140
−277%
|
450−500
+277%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 30−35
−335%
|
130−140
+335%
|
| Metro Exodus | 21−24
−370%
|
100−110
+370%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 160−170
−4.8%
|
170−180
+4.8%
|
| Valorant | 170−180
−152%
|
400−450
+152%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 50−55
−216%
|
160−170
+216%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 16−18
−435%
|
90−95
+435%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 40−45
−276%
|
150−160
+276%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 45−50
−382%
|
210−220
+382%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 20−22
−315%
|
80−85
+315%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 30−33
−397%
|
140−150
+397%
|
1440p
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 40−45
−268%
|
150−160
+268%
|
4K
High Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 16−18
−444%
|
85−90
+444%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 52
−200%
|
150−160
+200%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 12−14
−275%
|
45−50
+275%
|
| Metro Exodus | 14−16
−400%
|
70−75
+400%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 28
−368%
|
130−140
+368%
|
| Valorant | 100−110
−224%
|
300−350
+224%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Battlefield 5 | 27−30
−333%
|
110−120
+333%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 16−18
−444%
|
85−90
+444%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 7−8
−529%
|
40−45
+529%
|
| Dota 2 | 84
−257%
|
300−310
+257%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 20−22
−410%
|
100−110
+410%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 30−35
−428%
|
160−170
+428%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 12−14
−275%
|
45−50
+275%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 18−20
−433%
|
95−100
+433%
|
4K
Epic Preset
| Fortnite | 18−20
−339%
|
75−80
+339%
|
This is how R9 290X and RX 9070 XT compete in popular games:
- RX 9070 XT is 249% faster in 1080p
- RX 9070 XT is 240% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the R9 290X is 1% faster.
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RX 9070 XT is 821% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- R9 290X is ahead in 1 test (2%)
- RX 9070 XT is ahead in 62 tests (98%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 16.62 | 59.57 |
| Recency | 24 October 2013 | 6 March 2025 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Chip lithography | 28 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 250 Watt | 304 Watt |
R9 290X has 21.6% lower power consumption.
RX 9070 XT, on the other hand, has a 258.4% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 11 years, a 300% higher maximum VRAM amount, and a 460% more advanced lithography process.
The Radeon RX 9070 XT is our recommended choice as it beats the Radeon R9 290X in performance tests.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
