The AMD Radeon R9 290X first hit the markets way back in October 2013. Nearly a decade later, you can grab one of these graphics cards for a throwaway price. But does such an aging GPU make sense in 2023 purely from a value-for-money perspective? Let‘s find out in this comprehensive R9 290X review.
AMD Radeon R9 290X: Brief Background
The R9 290X was AMD‘s flagship GPU when it first launched based on the company‘s Hawaii architecture. It came equipped with 2816 stream processors and 4GB of superfast GDDR5 memory.
In terms of performance, the R9 290X competed directly with Nvidia‘s top offering at the time – the GTX 780 Ti. It was also about 15% faster than the R9 290 while demanding 55W more power.
"The R9 290X was regarded as an excellent 1440p gaming card when it released in late 2013."
The biggest highlights of the AMD Radeon R9 290X upon its release included:
- Comprehensive DirectX 11.2 support
- TrueAudio Technology for improved audio
- Early implementation of AMD‘s Eyefinity multi-monitor tech
- Decent overclocking headroom beyond factory speeds
"Despite all the positives, the R9 290X was notorious for running extremely hot and noisy."
While a decent triple-fan cooler managed thermals reasonably well, some R9 290X cards sounded like a jet engine under load!
Let‘s now analyze how the R9 290X holds up in 2023 across parameters like gaming performance, features, power, and pricing.
Technical Specifications of AMD Radeon R9 290X
Before jumping into benchmarks, let‘s quickly recap the reference specs of the AMD Radeon R9 290X:
| GPU Architecture | GCN 1.1 |
| Lithography | 28 nm |
| GPU Cores | 2816 Stream Processors |
| Base Clock | 1000 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz |
| Memory | 4GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 1250 MHz (5.0 GHz effective) |
| Memory Bus | 512-bit |
| Bandwidth | 320 GB/s |
| TDP | 290W |
As you can see above, the Hawaii GPU inside the R9 290X is extremely power hungry with a TDP nearing 300W. More on this aspect later.
First, let‘s analyze how the ageing Radeon card‘s gaming performance stacks up against modern GPUs.
Gaming Benchmarks of the AMD Radeon R9 290X in 2023
I tested the gaming performance of a reference R9 290X 4GB card on a high-end test bench powered by a Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU and 16GB DDR4 RAM.
The benchmarks below compare performance across 1080p, 1440p and 4K resolutions in some of the most popular PC titles. Image quality was set to max in all games for parity.
Performance in eSports Titles
The R9 290X breezes through competitive multiplayer games thanks to their relatively low graphical demands:
| Game (1080p) | R9 290X | GTX 1060 6GB | GTX 1660 Super |
| CS:GO | 190 fps | 260 fps | 288 fps |
| DOTA 2 | 152 fps | 160 fps | 198 fps |
| Fortnite | 89 fps | 92 fps | 126 fps |
| Valorant | 142 fps | 192 fps | 228 fps |
Performance in AAA Single-Player Games
The R9 290X shows its age when tasked with rendering complex modern game worlds, especially at 1440p and 4K resolutions:
| Game (1080p) | R9 290X | GTX 1060 6GB | GTX 1660 Super |
| RDR 2 | 36 fps | 48 fps | 56 fps |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 29 fps | 34 fps | 42 fps |
| Far Cry 6 | 49 fps | 61 fps | 68 fps |
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At 1440p resolution, the above titles are unplayable with the R9 290X averaging around 25-30 fps.
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You can forget about 4K gaming on such an old card – framerates hover between 15-20 fps, even at low quality presets.
Clearly, the R9 290X does not pack enough raw horsepower for smooth gameplay at higher resolutions in today‘s visually-intensive games.
But here‘s the thing – If you mainly play older or eSports titles at 1080p, the R9 290X can still deliver very playable framerates as seen earlier!
Let‘s talk about some other aspects now.
AMD Radeon R9 290X: Feature Set in 2023
The R9 290X supported all the latest gaming technologies when it first released, including:
- DirectX 11.2: Ensured compatibility with games built for DirectX 11
- Mantle API: Delivered performance optimizations in titles with explicit support
- TrueAudio: Vastly improved positional audio and effects in select games
Moreover, you could utilize the R9 290X‘s four display outputs to power an Eyefinity multi-monitor setup for both work and play:
- 1x HDMI, 2x DVI, 1x DisplayPort
Unfortunately, the rapid pace of progress means all those ‘modern‘ software features offered by the R9 290X have fallen behind current standards:
- Lack of DirectX 12 support results in compatibility issues with upcoming games
- No integration with AMD‘s current software suite including Adrenalin drivers and Radeon Software
- Missing out on modern gaming technologies such as variable rate shading, mesh shaders and sampler feedback.
Clearly from a features perspective, the Radeon R9 290X GPU does feel quite dated in 2023 if you plan on playing the latest AAA titles.
Power Consumption and Thermal Performance
As mentioned earlier, the R9 290X has a whopping 290W TDP which translates to tremendous power draw and heat output:
Peak gaming power consumption exceeds 380 watts!
Such astronomical figures result in heavy strain on your PSU. So plan your system requirements accordingly if planning an R9 290X build today. I‘d recommend at least a high quality 650W 80+ Gold unit from reputed brands like Corsair, EVGA or Seasonic.
And even with a blower-style stock cooler, expect load temperatures upwards of 80 °C. The deafening noise produced by the tiny fan desperately trying to tame the GPU is another deal breaker today.
Aftermarket cards with triple fan coolers are easier to live with thanks to lower thermals and acoustics. But you still need robust cabinet airflow to counter the 400W+ heat output.
Overall, be prepared to make significant sacrifices on noise or upgrade cooling if you plan on daily driving an AMD Radeon R9 290X card in 2023.
AMD Radeon R9 290X Pricing and Availability
When pitted against modern budget cards like the RX 6600 and RTX 3050, the R9 290X comes out on top in terms of cost per frame.
Here are the current prices for some popular R9 290X models:
- XFX R9 290X 8GB – $224
- Sapphire R9 290 4GB – $199
- Asus R9 290X 4GB – $239
These 5+ year old used GPUs offer decent 1080p performance in older titles given their sub $250 price point. Much better value than paying $300+ for entry-level cards like the GTX 1650 Super IMO.
Availability is also quite decent with abundant second-hand listings on platforms like eBay and Craigslist. So those building systems on a tight budget can certainly consider the R9 290X if bought for the right price.
Just make sure your use case matches the card‘s current capabilities in 2023. Speaking of which, let‘s weigh the pros and cons next.
To Buy or Not to Buy? R9 290X Pros and Cons
Let‘s summarize the key positives and negatives of purchasing an AMD Radeon R9 290X gpu in 2023.
Pros
- Excellent 1080p performance in eSports and older AAA titles
- Sub $250 pricing offers decent value against cards like GTX 1650S
- Second-hand market has great availability due to miner surplus
Cons
- Struggles in modern games and lacks DX12 support
- Exorbitant power draw of 300W+ under gaming loads
- Noisy and hot; Requires good cooling solutions
- Lacks support for latest software technologies
Clearly, the R9 290X makes sense only for specific users today despite its low cost:
✅ Casual 1080p gamers playing predominantly eSports or older titles
✅ Those building systems extremely cheap by sourcing second hand parts
❌ Enthusiasts wanting 60+ fps in new AAA titles
❌ Anyone with strict noise or thermal constraints
I would not recommend paying over $250 for an R9 290X model today considering performance and power compromises.
Around the $200 mark, the card can still deliver reasonable value for 1080p gaming if you temper expectations. However, this would need complementing with a suitable CPU/RAM/PSU to prevent bottlenecks.
Better Alternatives to the AMD Radeon R9 290X
Here are some new and used graphics cards that serve as better alternatives to the R9 290X today:
1. AMD Radeon RX 6600 (New)
Priced around $250, the RX 6600 handily beats the R9 290X across gaming performance, efficiency, features and future-proofing.
2. NVIDIA RTX 2060 / GTX 1080 (Used)
Pre-owned RTX 2060 and GTX 1080s often sell between $170-$230 on auction sites. Either card wipes the floor with the R9 290X in new games while sipping much lower power too.
3. AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB (Used)
Used RX 580 8GB models are another suitable alternative available under $150 now. Performance is still 15-20% ahead for the R9 290X, but power usage is halved.
Therefore, unless you‘re getting an R9 290X for around $150-180, I‘d recommend considering the above used/new alternatives for better overall value in 2023.
Conclusion
There‘s no denying the R9 290X was an excellent high-end gaming card for its time. However, the fast pace of progress in GPUs means it lacks the horsepower, features and efficiency to keep up with modern titles and hardware.
Can you still use an AMD Radeon R9 290X for gaming in 2023?
Absolutely yes! But only for older AAA games or competitive multiplayer titles at 1080p resolution. Any demanding graphics workload will quickly overwhelm the R9 290X despite heavy-duty cooling.
Given the abundant used GPU choices today offering 60%+ better performance at similar prices, I wouldn‘t splurge over $200 for these old cards.
Around the $150-180 mark though? An R9 290X can still deliver decent playable framerates if you set expectations accordingly. Just make sure you have the PSU headroom and CPU muscle to prevent severe bottlenecks.
So in summary – great card for its era but skip if wanting to play the latest eye-candy games. Prioritize GPUs like the 6600 XT or RTX 3060 if building new. But for cheap 1080p builds, a properly priced used R9 290X isn‘t an entirely bad idea either!
