GeForce GTX 970 vs Radeon R9 290
The GeForce GTX 970 is about 4% faster for gaming.
Verdict
- Performance index: the GeForce GTX 970 is 4% faster (25 vs 24).
- 1080p high, 23 popular games: GeForce GTX 970 +4% on average (est.).
- 1440p high, 23 popular games: GeForce GTX 970 +5% on average (est.).
- 4K high, 23 popular games: GeForce GTX 970 +5% on average (est.).
- Video memory: both have 4 GB.
- Power (TDP): GeForce GTX 970 145 W, Radeon R9 290 275 W; the GeForce GTX 970 delivers 98% more performance per watt.
- Age: the GeForce GTX 970 is 1 year newer (2014 vs 2013).
FPS figures assume a Ryzen 7 9850X3D, the fastest gaming processor in our catalog, so the graphics card is the limit wherever possible.
Specs
| Spec | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance index | 25 | 24 |
| Brand / series | NVIDIA GTX 900 | AMD R9 200 |
| Released | 2014 | 2013 |
| Video memory | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory bus | 256-bit | 512-bit |
| Power (TDP) | 145 W | 275 W |
| Hardware ray tracing | No | No |
| Upscaling | FSR | FSR |
Ray tracing and upscaling support follow the GPU architecture (series), not per-game support.
Estimated FPS in popular games (high preset)
| Game | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 158 | 152 |
| Dota 2 | 300+ | 300+ |
| PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | 58 | 55 |
| WARDOGS | 22 | 21 |
| Apex Legends™ | 63 | 60 |
| Valheim | 54 | 51 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Legacy | 115 | 111 |
| Aniimo | 30 | 29 |
| HELLDIVERS™ 2 | 36 | 34 |
| Slay the Spire 2 | 150 | 144 |
| Marvel Rivals | 36 | 34 |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | 36 | 34 |
| Overwatch® | 75 | 72 |
| The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth | 300+ | 300+ |
| War Thunder | 60 | 58 |
| Dead by Daylight | 107 | 103 |
| Geometry Dash | 300+ | 300+ |
| Limbus Company | 250 | 240 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced | 34 | 33 |
| Delta Force | 54 | 51 |
| Terraria | 300+ | 300+ |
| Stardew Valley | 300+ | 300+ |
| Rust | 30 | 29 |
| Game | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 111 | 106 |
| Dota 2 | 276 | 265 |
| PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | 40 | 39 |
| WARDOGS | 16 | 15 |
| Apex Legends™ | 44 | 42 |
| Valheim | 38 | 36 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Legacy | 81 | 78 |
| Aniimo | 21 | 20 |
| HELLDIVERS™ 2 | 25 | 24 |
| Slay the Spire 2 | 105 | 101 |
| Marvel Rivals | 25 | 24 |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | 25 | 24 |
| Overwatch® | 53 | 50 |
| The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth | 300+ | 300+ |
| War Thunder | 42 | 40 |
| Dead by Daylight | 75 | 72 |
| Geometry Dash | 276 | 265 |
| Limbus Company | 175 | 168 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced | 24 | 23 |
| Delta Force | 38 | 36 |
| Terraria | 300+ | 300+ |
| Stardew Valley | 276 | 265 |
| Rust | 21 | 20 |
| Game | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon R9 290 |
|---|---|---|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 66 | 64 |
| Dota 2 | 166 | 159 |
| PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS | 24 | 23 |
| WARDOGS | 9 | 9 |
| Apex Legends™ | 26 | 25 |
| Valheim | 23 | 22 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Legacy | 48 | 47 |
| Aniimo | 13 | 12 |
| HELLDIVERS™ 2 | 15 | 14 |
| Slay the Spire 2 | 63 | 60 |
| Marvel Rivals | 15 | 14 |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | 15 | 14 |
| Overwatch® | 32 | 30 |
| The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth | 252 | 242 |
| War Thunder | 25 | 24 |
| Dead by Daylight | 45 | 43 |
| Geometry Dash | 166 | 159 |
| Limbus Company | 105 | 101 |
| Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced | 14 | 14 |
| Delta Force | 23 | 22 |
| Terraria | 300+ | 300+ |
| Stardew Valley | 166 | 159 |
| Rust | 13 | 12 |
Estimated FPS from our model (v0), based on the game's published requirements and relative GPU/CPU performance. Not measured. Real results vary with drivers, patches, and scenes. Values above 300 fps show as 300+.
Values above 300 fps are shown as 300+. Hover a value for its range. How we estimate FPS