Radeon HD 4870 X2 vs Radeon R9 290X

When comparing Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Radeon R9 290X, 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 Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Radeon R9 290X is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 X2 Radeon R9 290X
Power consumption (TDP) 286 Watt 250 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x S-Video 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
  Check Price
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 has 14% more power consumption, than Radeon R9 290X.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is connected by PCIe 2.0 x16, and Radeon R9 290X uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon R9 290X has 3 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is build with TeraScale architecture, and Radeon R9 290X - with GCN.
  • Radeon HD 4870 X2 is manufactured by 55 nm process technology, and Radeon R9 290X - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Radeon R9 290X is 8 mm longer, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 4870 X2 is 2350 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 290X.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 3−4 35−40
ultra / 1080p 1−2 24−27
QHD / 1440p 0−1 18−20
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 14−16 60−65
medium / 1080p 6−7 45−50
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 290X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 616% more, than Radeon HD 4870 X2.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 4870 X2 Radeon R9 290X
Architecture TeraScale GCN
Code name R700 Hawaii XT
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 12 August 2008 24 October 2013
Pipelines 800 2816
Core clock speed 700 MHz
Boost Clock 947 MHz
Transistor count 956 million 6,200 million
Manufacturing process technology 55 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 28.00 176.0
Floating-point performance 2x 1,120.0 gflops 5,632 gflops
Length 267 mm 275 mm
Memory bus width 256 Bit 512 Bit
Memory clock speed 3600 MHz 1250 MHz
Memory bandwidth 115.2 GB/s 320 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 10.1 (10_1)
Shader Model 4.1 6.3
OpenGL 3.3 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 2.0
Vulkan N/A +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.76 kh/s
FreeSync +
Bus support PCIe 3.0
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 623 Mh/s
Eyefinity +
HD3D +
TrueAudio +
Design reference
DisplayPort support +
CrossFire +
DDMA audio +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.07 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 25.75 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 350 Sol/s
AppAcceleration +
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
  Check Price