AMD Radeon R9 M290X vs AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database shows a decisive performance gap between the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X. In the two shared tests, the RX 6700 XT wins both outright, and the margins are substantial.

In Geekbench Metal, the RX 6700 XT records a score of 130,896, while the R9 M290X manages 24,524. That translates to a 433.7% advantage for the newer card. This is not a marginal improvement; the RX 6700 XT is over five times faster in this particular compute workload. The result reflects the massive architectural and process-node leap between the two generations.

The Geekbench OpenCL test tells a similar story, though with a smaller but still massive gap. The RX 6700 XT scores 44,152, against 22,028 for the R9 M290X. The delta here is 100.4%, meaning the RX 6700 XT delivers roughly double the OpenCL performance. While Metal shows the extreme upper bound of the difference, OpenCL demonstrates that even in a more balanced compute scenario, the RX 6700 XT holds a commanding lead.

Looking at the wider database context, the RX 6700 XT sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,425. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (average score 27,435, delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (average score 27,565, delta -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (average score 27,839, delta -1.5%). The RX 6700 XT is essentially neck-and-neck with these high-end parts, which puts its performance in a completely different league from the R9 M290X.

The R9 M290X, by contrast, sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,276. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (average score 23,273, delta 0%), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (average score 23,250, delta 0.1%), and the NVIDIA P106-100 (average score 23,249, delta 0.1%). While the percentile difference between the two cards is only four points, the average score gap of roughly 4,149 points is significant. The RX 6700 XT is clearly positioned several tiers higher in the performance hierarchy.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The RX 6700 XT uses the Navi 22 chip, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, and fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The R9 M290X uses the Neptune chip, based on the much older GCN 1.0 architecture, on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference alone, from 28 nm to 7 nm, explains a large portion of the performance and efficiency delta.

Transistor counts tell the story of complexity. The RX 6700 XT packs 17,200 million transistors onto a 335 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 51.3M per mm². The R9 M290X has just 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, with a density of 13.2M per mm². The RX 6700 XT has over six times the transistor count, in a die that is only about 58% larger. That density advantage is the direct result of the 7 nm process.

Core configurations are similarly lopsided. The RX 6700 XT features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations pipelines. The R9 M290X has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. In every category, the RX 6700 XT doubles the older card's resources. The RX 6700 XT also includes 40 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the R9 M290X, which has no RT cores at all.

Memory subsystems differ in capacity, type, and bandwidth. The RX 6700 XT comes with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The R9 M290X has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 153.6 GB/s. Although the R9 M290X has a wider bus, the much faster GDDR6 memory on the RX 6700 XT more than compensates, offering over double the bandwidth. The RX 6700 XT also runs its memory at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), compared to 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) on the R9 M290X.

Clock speeds are also in favor of the newer card. The RX 6700 XT has a base clock of 2321 MHz, a boost clock of 2581 MHz, and a game clock of 2424 MHz. The R9 M290X operates at a base of 850 MHz and a boost of 900 MHz. The RX 6700 XT's clocks are nearly three times higher, which, combined with the larger core and newer architecture, produces the massive compute advantage seen in the benchmarks.

Rates and throughput figures reinforce the gap. The RX 6700 XT achieves a pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 413.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS. The R9 M290X manages 28.80 GPixel/s, 72.00 GTexel/s, and 2.304 TFLOPS. The FP32 gap is nearly sixfold. The RX 6700 XT also supports FP16 at 26.43 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the R9 M290X has no listed FP16 capability.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27,425, compared to 23,276 for the AMD Radeon R9 M290X.

Q: How large is the performance difference in Geekbench Metal?

A: The RX 6700 XT scores 130,896 in Geekbench Metal, while the R9 M290X scores 24,524, giving the RX 6700 XT a 433.7% advantage.

Q: Does the RX 6700 XT support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6700 XT includes 40 ray tracing cores. The R9 M290X has no ray tracing cores listed in the database.

Q: What are the memory capacities of the two cards?

A: The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the R9 M290X has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 6700 XT has a transistor density of 51.3M per mm², versus 13.2M per mm² for the R9 M290X.

Q: What is the DirectX support level for each GPU?

A: The RX 6700 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the R9 M290X supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | AMD Radeon R9 M290X |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 17,200 million | 2,800 million |

| Die Size | 335 mm² | 212 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 51.3M / mm² | 13.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 2321 MHz | 850 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2581 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 384.0 GB/s | 153.6 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 1280 |

| TMUs | 160 | 80 |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 40 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 165.2 GPixel/s | 28.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 413.0 GTexel/s | 72.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 13.21 TFLOPS | 2.304 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 26.43 TFLOPS (2:1) | None listed |

| TDP | 230 W | 100 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX Version | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan Version | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT wins in every measurable category where both cards share a benchmark. The data shows a 433.7% lead in Geekbench Metal and a 100.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. For compute-heavy workloads, content creation, and modern gaming, the RX 6700 XT is the clear choice. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance make it suitable for high-resolution textures, ray tracing workloads, and demanding professional applications. The 40 RT cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a feature the R9 M290X cannot offer at all.

The AMD Radeon R9 M290X, while far behind in raw performance, does have some characteristics that suit specific use cases. Its 100 W TDP is significantly lower than the RX 6700 XT's 230 W, and its MXM module form factor is designed for portable devices, not desktop towers. It also uses no external power connectors, which simplifies installation in constrained systems. For legacy applications, its GCN 1.0 architecture and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory may be sufficient, and its 256-bit memory bus, while paired with slower memory, provides a wider path for certain memory-access patterns. The R9 M290X also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170, so it can run modern APIs, albeit with older feature levels.

In practical terms, the RX 6700 XT targets desktop gaming and professional workstations, with a dual-slot design, a 550 W suggested PSU, and PCIe 4.0 x16 connectivity. The R9 M290X targets mobile workstations and small-form-factor systems, with its MXM module and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The RX 6700 XT is end-of-life, as is the R9 M290X, but the former is a much more recent product, released in 2021 versus 2014 for the latter.

For users with a desktop system and a need for modern gaming performance, the RX 6700 XT is the obvious winner. For those maintaining older mobile systems or requiring a low-power, connector-free GPU, the R9 M290X remains functionally relevant, but the performance gap is so wide that any new workload will strongly favor the RX 6700 XT. The database records two benchmark wins for the RX 6700 XT and zero for the R9 M290X, which accurately summarizes the overall competitive landscape.