GeForce GTS 450 vs Radeon R9 M290X

When comparing GeForce GTS 450 and Radeon R9 M290X, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTS 450 and Radeon R9 M290X is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon R9 M290X is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon R9 M290X is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Radeon R9 M290X here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTS 450 Radeon R9 M290X
Power consumption (TDP) 106 Watt 100 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 6-pin None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI No outputs
  Check Price Check Price
  • GeForce GTS 450 has 6% more power consumption, than Radeon R9 M290X.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon R9 M290X uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon R9 M290X has 3 GB more memory, than GeForce GTS 450.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is used in Desktops, and Radeon R9 M290X - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is build with Fermi architecture, and Radeon R9 M290X - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTS 450 is 716 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 M290X.
  • GeForce GTS 450 is manufactured by 40 nm process technology, and Radeon R9 M290X - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTS 450 is 604 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 M290X.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 16−18
ultra / 1080p 1−2 10−11
QHD / 1440p 0−1 4−5
4K / 2160p 4−5
low / 720p 14−16 30−35
medium / 1080p 5−6 20−22
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 M290X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 233% more, than GeForce GTS 450.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTS 450 Radeon R9 M290X
Architecture Fermi GCN
Code name GF106 Neptune
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 13 September 2010 7 January 2014
Pipelines 192 1280
Core clock speed 1566 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 1,170 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 40 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 25.1 billion/sec 72.00
Floating-point performance 601.3 gflops 2,304 gflops
Length 8.25" (210 mm) (21 cm)
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1804 (3608 data rate) MHz 1200 MHz
Memory bandwidth 57.7 GB/s 153.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_0)
Shader Model 5.1 5.1
OpenGL 4.2 4.4
OpenCL 1.1 Not Listed
Vulkan N/A
CUDA +
FreeSync +
CUDA cores 192
Bus support PCI-E 2.0 x 16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Height 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
HDMI +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 40 Mh/s 300 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
PowerTune +
DualGraphics +
ZeroCore +
Switchable graphics +
Mantle +
Compute units 20
  Check Price Check Price