R9 290X vs RX M 9070 XT
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | R9 290X | RX M 9070 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,970 | 8,038 | -75.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 33 | 73 | -54.8% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 18 | 44 | -59.1% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 9 | 25 | -64.0% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 5.6 | 19.1 | -70.6% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR5 | 16 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 448 | 448 | — |
| TDP (W) | 290 | 169 | — |
- RX M 9070 XT averages 44 fps at 1440p versus 18 fps — about 59% faster.
- RX M 9070 XT draws less power (169W vs 290W).
Verdict: R9 290X or RX M 9070 XT?
R9 290X advantages
- No decisive advantage on the tracked metrics.
RX M 9070 XT advantages
- 1440p gaming (+59%)
- 4K gaming (+64%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+75%)
- Video memory (+75%)
- Power efficiency (+42%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RX M 9070 XT if you game at 1440p.
R9 290X vs RX M 9070 XT: which should you choose?
R9 290X — AMD desktop graphics card (2013, GCN 2.0) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 18 fps at 1440p; launched at $549.
RX M 9070 XT — AMD desktop graphics card (2025, RDNA 4) with 16 GB of GDDR6, averaging 44 fps at 1440p.
R9 290X vs RX M 9070 XT: RX M 9070 XT is faster for gaming. RX M 9070 XT averages 44 fps at 1440p versus 18 fps — about 59% faster. RX M 9070 XT draws less power (169W vs 290W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RX M 9070 XT averages 44 fps against 18. At 4K (9 vs 25 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 16GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 290 W versus 169 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the R9 290X better than the RX M 9070 XT?
RX M 9070 XT is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RX M 9070 XT averages 44 fps at 1440p versus 18 fps — about 59% faster.
What is the main difference between the R9 290X and the RX M 9070 XT?
RX M 9070 XT averages 44 fps at 1440p versus 18 fps — about 59% faster. RX M 9070 XT draws less power (169W vs 290W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RX M 9070 XT if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.