Radeon R9 280X vs Radeon R9 290X

When comparing Radeon R9 280X 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 R9 280X 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 R9 280X Radeon R9 290X
Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt 250 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 3 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
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  • Both graphics cards have the same power consumption of 250 Watt.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon R9 290X has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon R9 280X.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon R9 280X and Radeon R9 290X are build with GCN architecture.
  • Radeon R9 280X and Radeon R9 290X are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Both graphics cards are the same length of 275 mm.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 35−40
ultra / 1080p 21−24 24−27
QHD / 1440p 16−18 18−20
4K / 2160p 10−11 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 60−65
medium / 1080p 40−45 45−50
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 290X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 3% more, than Radeon R9 280X.

Full Specs

  Radeon R9 280X Radeon R9 290X
Architecture GCN GCN
Code name Thaiti XTL Hawaii XT
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 8 October 2013 24 October 2013
Pipelines 2048 2816
Boost Clock 1000 MHz 947 MHz
Transistor count 4,313 million 6,200 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 128.0 176.0
Floating-point performance 4,096 gflops 5,632 gflops
Length 275 mm 275 mm
Memory bus width 384 Bit 512 Bit
Memory clock speed 1250 MHz
Memory bandwidth 288 GB/s 320 GB/s
Shared memory - -
Shader Model 5.1 6.3
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 2.0
Vulkan + +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.5 kh/s 0.76 kh/s
FreeSync + +
Bus support PCIe 3.0 PCIe 3.0
HDMI + +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 494 Mh/s 623 Mh/s
Eyefinity + +
HD3D + +
TrueAudio + +
Design reference reference
DisplayPort support + +
CrossFire + +
DDMA audio + +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.07 Gh/s 1.07 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 14.42 Mh/s 25.75 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 285 Sol/s 350 Sol/s
AppAcceleration + +
LiquidVR + +
TressFX + +
UVD + +
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