Radeon R9 290X vs Radeon Sky 500

When comparing Radeon R9 290X and Radeon Sky 500, 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 290X and Radeon Sky 500 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  Radeon R9 290X Radeon Sky 500
Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt 150 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1 x 6-pin + 1 x 8-pin 1x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 1x DisplayPort
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  • Radeon R9 290X has 66% more power consumption, than Radeon Sky 500.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon R9 290X and Radeon Sky 500 have maximum RAM of 4 GB.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon R9 290X is build with GCN architecture, and Radeon Sky 500 - with GCN 1.0.
  • Radeon R9 290X and Radeon Sky 500 are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Radeon R9 290X is 33 mm longer, than Radeon Sky 500.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon Sky 500 is 3550 MHz higher, than Radeon R9 290X.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 35−40
ultra / 1080p 24−27 21−24
QHD / 1440p 18−20 16−18
4K / 2160p 10−11 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 60−65
medium / 1080p 45−50 40−45
The average gaming FPS of Radeon R9 290X in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 3% more, than Radeon Sky 500.

Full Specs

  Radeon R9 290X Radeon Sky 500
Architecture GCN GCN 1.0
Code name Hawaii XT Pitcairn
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 24 October 2013 27 March 2013
Pipelines 2816 1280
Core clock speed 950 MHz
Boost Clock 947 MHz
Transistor count 6,200 million 2,800 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 176.0 76.00
Floating-point performance 5,632 gflops 2,432 gflops
Length 275 mm 242 mm
Memory bus width 512 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 1250 MHz 4800 MHz
Memory bandwidth 320 GB/s 154 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 6.3 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan + 1.2.131
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.76 kh/s
FreeSync +
Bus support PCIe 3.0 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
Form factor full height / full length
DisplayPort count 1
Dual-link DVI support +
AppAcceleration +
LiquidVR +
TressFX +
UVD +
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