GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon R9 290

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Aggregate performance score

We've compared Radeon R9 290 with GeForce GTX 980M, including specs and performance data.

R9 290
2013
4 GB GDDR5, 275 Watt
21.00
+10%

R9 290 outperforms GTX 980M by a moderate 10% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking262291
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation8.02no data
Power efficiency5.2413.09
ArchitectureGCN 2.0 (2013−2017)Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019)
GPU code nameHawaiiGM204
Market segmentDesktopLaptop
Release date5 November 2013 (11 years ago)7 October 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$399 no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

no data

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 cores25601536
Core clock speed947 MHz1038 MHz
Boost clock speedno data1127 MHz
Number of transistors6,200 million5,200 million
Manufacturing process technology28 nm28 nm
Power consumption (TDP)275 Wattunknown
Texture fill rate151.551.84
Floating-point processing power4.849 TFLOPS1.659 TFLOPS
ROPs6464
TMUs16096

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).

Laptop sizeno datalarge
Bus supportno dataPCI Express 3.0
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16MXM-B (3.0)
Length275 mmno data
Width2-slotno data
Supplementary power connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pinNone
SLI options-+

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 typeGDDR5GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount4 GB8 GB
Memory bus width512 Bit256 Bit
Memory clock speed1250 MHz2500 MHz
Memory bandwidth320.0 GB/s160 GB/s
Shared memory--

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 Connectors2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPortNo outputs
VGA аnalog display supportno data+
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) supportno data+
HDMI++
G-SYNC support-+

Supported technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

GameStream-+
GeForce ShadowPlay-+
GPU Boostno data2.0
GameWorks-+
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder-+
Optimus-+
BatteryBoost-+
Ansel-+

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX12 (12_0)12 (12_1)
Shader Model6.36.4
OpenGL4.64.5
OpenCL2.01.1
Vulkan1.2.1311.1.126
CUDA-+

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. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

R9 290 21.00
+10%
GTX 980M 19.09

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.

R9 290 8093
+10%
GTX 980M 7357

3DMark Fire Strike Graphics

Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.

R9 290 11860
+22.5%
GTX 980M 9682

Unigine Heaven 4.0

This is an old DirectX 11 benchmark, a newer version of Unigine 3.0 with relatively small differences. It displays a fantasy medieval town sprawling over several flying islands. The benchmark is still sometimes used, despite its significant age, as it was released back in 2013.

R9 290 1440
+1.6%
GTX 980M 1417

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:

900p190−200
+9.8%
173
−9.8%
Full HD75−80
+7.1%
70
−7.1%
1440p35−40
−2.9%
36
+2.9%
4K27−30
+0%
27
+0%

Cost per frame, $

1080p5.32no data
1440p11.40no data
4K14.78no data

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Cyberpunk 2077 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 51
+0%
51
+0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Battlefield 5 67
+0%
67
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%
Far Cry 5 62
+0%
62
+0%
Far Cry New Dawn 59
+0%
59
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 196
+0%
196
+0%
Hitman 3 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Horizon Zero Dawn 90−95
+0%
90−95
+0%
Metro Exodus 65
+0%
65
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 50−55
+0%
50−55
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 100
+0%
100
+0%
Watch Dogs: Legion 85−90
+0%
85−90
+0%

Full HD
High Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 68
+0%
68
+0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Battlefield 5 57
+0%
57
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%
Far Cry 5 52
+0%
52
+0%
Far Cry New Dawn 47
+0%
47
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 191
+0%
191
+0%
Hitman 3 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Horizon Zero Dawn 90−95
+0%
90−95
+0%
Metro Exodus 55
+0%
55
+0%
Red Dead Redemption 2 50−55
+0%
50−55
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 60−65
+0%
60−65
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 121
+0%
121
+0%
Watch Dogs: Legion 85−90
+0%
85−90
+0%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 26
+0%
26
+0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 30−33
+0%
30−33
+0%
Far Cry 5 38
+0%
38
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 47
+0%
47
+0%
Hitman 3 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Horizon Zero Dawn 90−95
+0%
90−95
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 60−65
+0%
60−65
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 33
+0%
33
+0%
Watch Dogs: Legion 85−90
+0%
85−90
+0%

Full HD
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 50−55
+0%
50−55
+0%

1440p
High Preset

Battlefield 5 33
+0%
33
+0%
Far Cry New Dawn 32
+0%
32
+0%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 20
+0%
20
+0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 16−18
+0%
16−18
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 21−24
+0%
21−24
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 10−12
+0%
10−12
+0%
Far Cry 5 24
+0%
24
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 134
+0%
134
+0%
Hitman 3 21−24
+0%
21−24
+0%
Horizon Zero Dawn 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
Metro Exodus 38
+0%
38
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 35−40
+0%
35−40
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 21−24
+0%
21−24
+0%
Watch Dogs: Legion 110−120
+0%
110−120
+0%

1440p
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 30−35
+0%
30−35
+0%

4K
High Preset

Battlefield 5 16
+0%
16
+0%
Far Cry New Dawn 17
+0%
17
+0%
Hitman 3 14−16
+0%
14−16
+0%
Horizon Zero Dawn 95−100
+0%
95−100
+0%
Metro Exodus 18
+0%
18
+0%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 22
+0%
22
+0%

4K
Ultra Preset

Assassin's Creed Odyssey 12
+0%
12
+0%
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 9−10
+0%
9−10
+0%
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 10−11
+0%
10−11
+0%
Cyberpunk 2077 4−5
+0%
4−5
+0%
Far Cry 5 12
+0%
12
+0%
Forza Horizon 4 26
+0%
26
+0%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 21−24
+0%
21−24
+0%
Watch Dogs: Legion 8−9
+0%
8−9
+0%

4K
Epic Preset

Red Dead Redemption 2 16−18
+0%
16−18
+0%

This is how R9 290 and GTX 980M compete in popular games:

  • R9 290 is 10% faster in 900p
  • R9 290 is 7% faster in 1080p
  • GTX 980M is 3% faster in 1440p
  • A tie in 4K

All in all, in popular games:

  • there's a draw in 72 tests (100%)

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 21.00 19.09
Recency 5 November 2013 7 October 2014
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 8 GB

R9 290 has a 10% higher aggregate performance score.

GTX 980M, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 11 months, and a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.

The Radeon R9 290 is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 980M in performance tests.

Be aware that Radeon R9 290 is a desktop card while GeForce GTX 980M is a notebook one.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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AMD Radeon R9 290
Radeon R9 290
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
GeForce GTX 980M

Comparisons with similar GPUs

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


4.2 558 votes

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4.2 336 votes

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about this comparison, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.