AMD Radeon R9 290
vs
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690

AMD Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
R9 290 GTX 690 Difference
AMD Radeon R9 290 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Price $ 310.0 $ 439.0 129 (42%)
Year 2013 2012 1 (0%)
Maximum Recorded Temperature 94C 85C 9 (10%)
Max Fan Noise 60.1dB 58.4dB 1.7 (3%)
Recommended Power Supply 625W 650W 25 (4%)
Benchmark CPU Intel Core i7-3770K @ 3.50GHz ($248.98) Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz ($199.99)
CPU Impact on FPS +0.0 FPS +0.0 FPS 0 (0%)
CPU Impact on FPS % 0.0% 0.0% 0 (0%)
Benchmark Quality Settings Ultra Quality Settings Ultra Quality Settings
Average 1080p Performance 57.7 FPS 78.8 FPS 21.1 (37%)
Average 1440p Performance 42.0 FPS 61.5 FPS 19.5 (46%)
(Ultrawide) Average 1440p Performance 36.5 FPS 49.5 FPS 13 (36%)
Average 4K Performance 26.2 FPS 31.1 FPS 4.9 (19%)
Memory 4 GB 2 GB 2 (50%)
1080p Cost Per Frame $ 6.9 $ 12.7 5.8 (84%)
1440p Cost Per Frame $ 9.5 $ 16.2 6.7 (71%)
(Ultrawide) 1440p Cost Per Frame $ 10.9 $ 20.2 9.3 (85%)
4K Cost Per Frame $ 15.2 $ 32.1 16.9 (111%)
Variant AMD Radeon R9 290 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Overall Combination Score 58/100 61/100 3 (5%)
Our Verdict: The GTX 690 is faster by 46% for 1440p gaming.

AMD Radeon R9 290

The good news is, with the release of the R9 290X, the R9 290 's price is getting more discount. AMD ’s xx90 cards have always been defined by high-end prices with performance that knocks on the door of extreme graphics cards – especially when overclocked. After taking the time to fully test the GCN 2.0 graphics card inside the R9 290, we can say without a doubt that it continues the trend.

Compared to its NVIDIA 's closest rival, GTX 970, the R9 290 was -7.2 % slower. For 1080p Full HD, we were able to play Fallout 76, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, World War Z, Resident Evil 2, Strange Brigade at 61 fps to 69 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 66 fps.

For 1440p Quad HD, we were able to play Valorant at 88 fps to 88 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 88 fps. For 2160p 4K, we were able to play Valorant at 77 fps to 77 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 77 fps.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690

The GTX 690 is much more expensive than the GTX 590 as it costs a whopping $ 999. Compare this to the GTX 590, which came originally at a price of $ 699. Meanwhile, the AMD closest equivalent card is the HD 7990 which costs $ 999. Spec for spec, this GTX 690 leapfrogs its direct predecessor, the GTX 590, by boasting 33.1 % more fps.

The GTX 690 has 2 GB RAM compared to the GTX 590 's 1.5 GB video memory. Compared to its AMD 's closest rival, HD 7990, the GTX 690 was 6.8 % faster.

Fortunately, gaming performance was quite impressive. The GTX 690 consistently delivers great frame rate increases over the GTX 590 and it really justifies an upgrade. For 1080p Full HD, we were able to play Far Cry 6, F1 2019, Resident Evil 4, World War Z, Apex Legends at 61 fps to 63 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 62 fps.

For 1440p Quad HD, we were able to play Valorant at 102 fps to 102 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 102 fps. For 2160p 4K, we were able to play Valorant at 89 fps to 89 fps and kept frame rates hovering around 89 fps.

Game Performance at selected quality settings

Change Quality Settings

1920x1080

AMD Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
41
46.2
56
62.8
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
28
31.5
38
42.9
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
24
27.3
33
37.1
2023 The Last of Us Part I
18
21.0
25
28.6
2023 Forspoken
21
24.3
29
33.1
2023 The Callisto Protocol
17
18.9
23
25.7
2023 Dead Space
28
31.5
38
42.9
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
33
37.4
45
50.8
2023 Armored Core VI
33
37.4
45
50.8
2023 Immortals of Aveum
15
16.8
20
22.9
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
30
33.6
41
45.7
2023 Remnant II
17
18.9
23
25.7
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
22
25.2
30
34.3
2023 Atomic Heart
22
25.2
30
34.3
2023 Starfield
11
12.6
15
17.1
2022 Elden Ring
28
31.9
33
36.7
2022 God of War
27
30.2
31
34.8
2022 Overwatch 2
50
56.2
58
64.7
2022 F1 22
34
37.8
46
51.4
2022 Dying Light 2
32
35.7
43
48.6
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
32
35.7
43
48.6
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
52
58.8
72
80.0
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
37
42.0
51
57.1
2021 Forza Horizon 5
27
30.6
31
35.2
2021 Halo Infinite
20
23.3
24
26.9
2021 Battlefield 2042
38
43.0
44
49.6
2021 Hitman 3
43
48.3
59
65.7
2021 Far Cry 6
40
44.9
54
61.1
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
44
49.1
60
66.8
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
44
49.5
60
67.4
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
22
24.6
25
28.4
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
14
16.1
16
18.5
2020 Valorant
97
108.1
112
124.5
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
38
42.4
43
48.8
2020 Death Stranding
44
48.9
50
56.4
2020 Marvel's Avengers
28
31.9
33
36.7
2020 Godfall
42
47.6
49
54.9
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
22
24.6
25
28.4
2019 Apex Legends
48
54.0
56
63.0
2019 Anthem
31
34.8
36
40.6
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
45
51.0
53
59.5
2019 Resident Evil 2
59
66.4
68
76.5
2019 Metro Exodus
26
29.6
30
34.1
2019 World War Z
59
66.0
56
62.8
2019 Gears of War 5
38
43.0
44
49.6
2019 F1 2019
48
54.0
55
62.2
2019 GreedFall
43
48.6
50
56.0
2019 Borderlands 3
30
34.2
35
39.4
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
59
65.7
68
75.7
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
22
25.3
26
29.1
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
35
39.7
41
45.8
2018 Just Cause 4
38
42.7
44
49.2
2018 Monster Hunter: World
41
46.0
47
53.0
2018 Strange Brigade
62
69.3
71
79.9
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
53
59.1
61
68.1
2017 For Honor
70
78.8
81
90.8
2017 Project CARS 2
50
55.8
57
64.3
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
60
67.7
69
77.0
2016 Dishonored 2
36
40.7
42
46.9
2015 Rocket League
207
230.0
238
265.0
2015 Need For Speed
57
63.7
66
73.4
2015 Project CARS
54
61.1
63
70.4
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
100
111.7
115
128.7
2013 Bioshock Infinite
82
91.5
104
116.0
2013 Crysis 3
50
56.5
69
77.4
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
141
157.7
163
181.7
2011 Battlefield 3
79
87.9
106
117.8
2009 League of Legends
266
295.7
306
340.7
2008 Crysis: Warhead
72
80.0
76
85.5

2560x1440

AMD Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
26
33.6
36
45.7
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
18
23.1
25
31.4
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
16
21.0
22
28.6
2023 The Last of Us Part I
12
15.9
17
21.7
2023 Forspoken
12
15.9
17
21.7
2023 The Callisto Protocol
10
13.4
14
18.3
2023 Dead Space
16
21.0
22
28.6
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
24
30.2
32
41.1
2023 Armored Core VI
24
30.2
32
41.1
2023 Immortals of Aveum
9
11.8
12
16.0
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
18
23.1
25
31.4
2023 Remnant II
10
12.6
13
17.1
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
15
18.9
20
25.7
2023 Atomic Heart
14
18.0
19
24.6
2023 Starfield
9
11.3
12
15.4
2022 Elden Ring
20
25.2
23
29.0
2022 God of War
20
26.0
23
29.9
2022 Overwatch 2
38
48.3
44
55.6
2022 F1 22
18
23.1
25
31.4
2022 Dying Light 2
18
23.1
25
31.4
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
20
25.2
27
34.3
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
33
42.0
45
57.1
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
21
27.3
29
37.1
2021 Forza Horizon 5
21
26.3
24
30.3
2021 Halo Infinite
16
21.0
19
24.2
2021 Battlefield 2042
22
28.6
26
32.9
2021 Hitman 3
27
34.4
37
46.8
2021 Far Cry 6
26
33.6
36
45.7
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
27
34.8
37
47.4
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
25
32.3
35
44.0
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
17
21.4
19
24.6
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
11
14.1
13
16.3
2020 Valorant
70
88.4
81
101.8
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
26
33.2
30
38.2
2020 Death Stranding
30
38.0
35
43.8
2020 Marvel's Avengers
18
22.7
20
26.1
2020 Godfall
25
31.9
29
36.7
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
18
23.0
21
26.5
2019 Apex Legends
32
40.2
37
46.9
2019 Anthem
22
27.6
25
32.2
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
31
39.6
36
46.2
2019 Resident Evil 2
35
44.7
41
51.5
2019 Metro Exodus
18
23.0
21
26.5
2019 World War Z
38
48.2
36
45.8
2019 Gears of War 5
24
31.2
28
36.0
2019 F1 2019
30
38.2
35
44.1
2019 GreedFall
28
35.1
32
40.5
2019 Borderlands 3
19
24.0
22
27.6
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
37
47.3
43
54.5
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
16
20.7
19
23.8
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
24
31.2
28
36.0
2018 Just Cause 4
25
31.5
29
36.3
2018 Monster Hunter: World
25
32.2
29
37.1
2018 Strange Brigade
38
48.3
44
55.6
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
34
42.7
39
49.2
2017 For Honor
36
46.0
42
53.0
2017 Project CARS 2
31
39.4
36
45.4
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
48
61.1
56
70.4
2016 Dishonored 2
27
34.8
32
40.1
2015 Grand Theft Auto V
28
35.9
30
38.6
2015 Rocket League
78
98.6
90
113.6
2015 Need For Speed
39
49.3
45
56.8
2015 Project CARS
37
46.6
42
53.7
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
57
72.3
66
83.3
2014 Thief
36
45.4
44
56.1
2013 Bioshock Infinite
47
59.1
74
92.6
2013 Company of Heroes 2
32
40.1
18
22.5
2013 Crysis 3
29
36.7
60
75.8
2013 GRID 2
64
80.2
78
98.5
2013 Metro: Last Light
45
56.8
48
60.1
2013 Total War: Rome 2
35
44.2
43
54.1
2013 Battlefield 4
39
49.6
49
62.3
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
105
131.4
121
151.4
2011 Battlefield 3
48
60.4
90
113.5
2009 League of Legends
131
164.3
151
189.3
2008 Crysis: Warhead
42
53.0
44
55.7

3440x1440

AMD Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Year Game Frames Per Second
2019 Apex Legends
26
34.3
30
40.1
2019 Anthem
17
22.8
20
26.6
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
24
32.4
28
37.8
2019 Resident Evil 2
27
35.7
31
41.1
2019 Metro Exodus
15
20.1
17
23.1
2019 World War Z
30
40.6
29
38.6
2019 Gears of War 5
20
27.2
23
31.4
2019 F1 2019
25
33.4
29
38.6
2019 GreedFall
20
26.5
23
30.6
2019 Borderlands 3
14
19.5
17
22.5
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
30
40.4
35
46.6
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
13
18.1
15
20.8
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
20
27.2
23
31.4
2018 Just Cause 4
19
25.6
22
29.5
2018 Monster Hunter: World
19
25.5
22
29.4
2018 Strange Brigade
30
39.9
34
46.0
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
29
38.7
33
44.6
2017 For Honor
28
36.9
32
42.5
2017 Project CARS 2
29
38.7
33
44.6
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
45
60.1
52
69.2
2016 Dishonored 2
25
33.4
29
38.5
2015 Rocket League
58
77.3
67
89.1
2015 Need For Speed
33
44.0
38
50.7
2015 Project CARS
32
42.5
37
49.0
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
43
56.6
49
65.2
2013 Bioshock Infinite
43
57.2
53
70.5
2013 GRID 2
51
67.8
60
79.0
2013 Total War: Rome 2
34
46.0
40
53.9
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
101
133.6
116
153.9
2009 League of Legends
93
123.0
107
141.7
2008 Crysis: Warhead
40
53.7
42
55.9

3840x2160

AMD Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690
Year Game Frames Per Second
2023 Resident Evil 4
17
25.2
24
34.3
2023 A Plague Tale: Requiem
10
14.7
14
20.0
2023 Hogwarts Legacy
10
14.7
14
20.0
2023 The Last of Us Part I
5
8.4
7
11.4
2023 Forspoken
5
7.6
7
10.3
2023 The Callisto Protocol
4
6.7
6
9.1
2023 Dead Space
5
8.4
7
11.4
2023 Baldur's Gate 3
11
16.8
16
22.9
2023 Armored Core VI
11
16.8
16
22.9
2023 Immortals of Aveum
3
5.5
5
7.4
2023 Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
8
12.6
11
17.1
2023 Remnant II
4
6.3
6
8.6
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
6
9.2
8
12.6
2023 Atomic Heart
7
11.3
10
15.4
2023 Starfield
5
7.6
7
10.3
2022 Elden Ring
10
14.3
11
16.5
2022 God of War
14
20.2
16
23.2
2022 Overwatch 2
25
36.5
29
42.0
2022 F1 22
11
16.8
16
22.9
2022 Dying Light 2
11
16.8
16
22.9
2022 Total War: Warhammer III
13
18.9
17
25.7
2022 Spider-Man Remastered
20
29.4
28
40.0
2022 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
11
16.8
16
22.9
2021 Forza Horizon 5
14
20.4
16
23.5
2021 Halo Infinite
10
14.5
11
16.7
2021 Battlefield 2042
12
18.4
14
21.2
2021 Hitman 3
14
21.0
20
28.6
2021 Far Cry 6
12
18.0
17
24.6
2021 Guardians of the Galaxy
13
18.9
17
25.7
2020 Watch Dogs: Legion
14
21.0
20
28.6
2020 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
10
14.5
11
16.7
2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator
7
11.2
9
12.9
2020 Valorant
53
76.9
62
88.6
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
12
17.7
14
20.4
2020 Death Stranding
16
23.1
18
26.6
2020 Marvel's Avengers
8
11.9
9
13.7
2020 Godfall
10
15.2
12
17.5
2020 Cyberpunk 2077
10
15.1
12
17.4
2019 Apex Legends
16
24.0
19
28.0
2019 Anthem
10
15.0
12
17.5
2019 Far Cry New Dawn
14
21.0
17
24.5
2019 Resident Evil 2
15
22.0
17
25.4
2019 Metro Exodus
10
14.5
11
16.7
2019 World War Z
19
27.7
18
26.4
2019 Gears of War 5
13
19.7
15
22.7
2019 F1 2019
17
24.3
19
28.0
2019 GreedFall
10
14.5
11
16.7
2019 Borderlands 3
8
12.5
10
14.4
2019 Call of Duty Modern Warfare
19
28.3
22
32.6
2019 Red Dead Redemption 2
9
13.1
10
15.1
2019 Need For Speed: Heat
13
19.7
15
22.7
2018 Just Cause 4
11
16.4
13
18.9
2018 Monster Hunter: World
10
15.4
12
17.8
2018 Strange Brigade
18
26.3
21
30.3
2017 Need For Speed: Payback
20
29.6
23
34.1
2017 For Honor
16
23.0
18
26.5
2017 Project CARS 2
23
32.9
26
37.9
2017 Forza Motorsport 7
35
51.2
41
59.0
2016 Dishonored 2
19
27.6
22
31.8
2015 Rocket League
32
46.0
37
53.0
2015 Need For Speed
23
32.9
26
37.9
2015 Project CARS
23
32.9
26
37.9
2015 Rainbow Six Siege
23
33.5
27
38.6
2013 Bioshock Infinite
33
47.9
27
39.2
2013 GRID 2
32
46.5
34
49.1
2013 Total War: Rome 2
29
41.7
32
46.6
2012 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
82
118.3
95
136.3
2009 League of Legends
45
65.7
52
75.7
2008 Crysis: Warhead
33
47.3
34
48.8
R9 290 vs GTX 690 with i7-3770K vs i7-2700K at 1080p and ultra vs ultra settings
R9 290 vs GTX 690 with i7-3770K vs i7-2700K at 1440p and ultra vs ultra settings
R9 290 vs GTX 690 with i7-3770K vs i7-2700K at 4K and ultra vs ultra settings

AMD Radeon R9 290 / i7-3770K

For the most part, the R9 290 is still capable of playing modern games, but you would have to reduce settings to sustain those higher framerates. If keeping graphics quality settings closer to ultra or high is important, there are a few options for upgrades. It is worth noting that the R9 290 is a very power hungry card and requires a decent power supply unit. It is important to know that R9 290 's max load temperature is very high and might require custom cooling solutions. This combination between R9 290 and Intel Core i7-3770K @ 3.50GHz has less than 8% bottleneck in many games and is perfect match to avoid FPS loss. This combination between R9 290 and Intel Core i7-3770K @ 3.50GHz is a perfect match to avoid FPS loss. With current 4096 MB RAM, the R9 290 can have very few memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 / i7-2700K

In terms of cost, pricing clearly is a genuine issue here and the price of GTX 690 is simply ridiculous. It is worth noting that the GTX 690 is a very power hungry card and requires a decent power supply unit. With current 2048 MB RAM, the GTX 690 can have serious memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games. It is important to know that GTX 690 's max load temperature is very high and might require custom cooling solutions. This combination between GTX 690 and Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz has less than 8% bottleneck in many games and is perfect match to avoid FPS loss. This combination between GTX 690 and Intel Core i7-2700K @ 3.50GHz is a perfect match to avoid FPS loss. With current 2048 MB RAM, the GTX 690 can have very few memory-related bottlenecks in more modern games.

R9 290 vs GTX 690 Specifications Comparison

Board Design

R9 290 GTX 690
Board NumberC671P2000
Length10.83 inches 275 mm11 inches 279 mm
Outputs2x DVI1x HDMI1x DisplayPort3x DVI1x mini-DisplayPort
Power Connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin2x 8-pin
Slot WidthDual-slotDual-slot
TDP275 W300 W

Clock Speeds

R9 290 GTX 690
GPU Clock947 MHz915 MHz
Memory Clock1250 MHz 5000 MHz effective1502 MHz 6008 MHz effective

Graphics Card

R9 290 GTX 690
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
GenerationVolcanic Islands (R9 200)GeForce 600
Launch Price399 USD999 USD
ProductionEnd-of-lifeEnd-of-life
Release DateNov 5th, 2013May 3rd, 2012

Graphics Features

R9 290 GTX 690
DirectX12.0 (12_0)12.0 (11_0)
OpenCL21.2
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model65.1
Vulkan1.1.821.1.82

Graphics Processor

R9 290 GTX 690
ArchitectureGCN 2.0Kepler
Die Size438 mm²294 mm²
GPU NameHawaiiGK104
GPU VariantHawaii PRO (215-0852020)GK104-355-A2
Process Size28 nm28 nm
Transistors6,200 million3,540 million

Memory

R9 290 GTX 690
Bandwidth320.0 GB/s192.3 GB/s
Memory Bus512 bit256 bit
Memory Size4096 MB2048 MB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5

Render Config

R9 290 GTX 690
ROPs6432
Shading Units25601536
TMUs160128

Theoretical Performance

R9 290 GTX 690
FP32 (float) performance4,849 GFLOPS3,130 GFLOPS
FP64 (double) performance606.1 GFLOPS (1:8)130.4 GFLOPS (1:24)
Pixel Rate60.61 GPixel/s32.61 GPixel/s
Texture Rate151.5 GTexel/s130.4 GTexel/s

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