GeForce GTX 870M vs 590
Aggregated performance score
870M outperforms 590 by 3% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary Details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
Place in performance ranking | 460 | 453 |
Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation | 0.47 | 2.94 |
Architecture | Fermi (2010−2014) | Kepler (2012−2018) |
GPU code name | GF110 | N15P-GT |
Market segment | Desktop | Laptop |
Release date | 24 March 2011 (13 years ago) | 12 March 2014 (10 years ago) |
Launch price (MSRP) | $699 | no data |
Current price | $600 (0.9x MSRP) | $403 |
Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
GTX 870M has 526% better value for money than GTX 590.
Detailed Specifications
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
Pipelines / CUDA cores | 1024 | 1344 |
CUDA cores | 1024 | 1344 |
Core clock speed | 607 MHz | 941 MHz |
Boost clock speed | no data | 967 MHz |
Number of transistors | 3,000 million | 3,540 million |
Manufacturing process technology | 40 nm | 28 nm |
Power consumption (TDP) | 365 Watt | 100 Watt |
Maximum GPU temperature | 97 °C | no data |
Texture fill rate | 77.7 billion/sec | 108.3 |
Floating-point performance | 2x 1,244.2 gflops | 2,599 gflops |
Form Factor & Compatibility
Information on GeForce GTX 590 and GeForce GTX 870M compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop video cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility). For notebook video cards it's notebook size, connection slot and bus, if the video card is inserted into a slot instead of being soldered to the notebook motherboard.
Laptop size | no data | large |
Bus support | 16x PCI-E 2.0 | PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 |
Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |
Length | 11" (280 mm) (27.9 cm) | no data |
Height | 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm) | no data |
Width | 2-slot | no data |
Supplementary power connectors | Two 8-pin | None |
SLI options | + | + |
Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
Maximum RAM amount | 3072 MB (1536 MB per GPU) | 6 GB |
Standard memory configuration | no data | GDDR5 |
Memory bus width | 768-bit (384-bit per GPU) | 192 Bit |
Memory clock speed | 1707 MHz | Up to 2500 MHz |
Memory bandwidth | 327.7 GB/s | 120.0 GB/s |
Shared memory | - | - |
Connectivity and Outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
Display Connectors | Three Dual Link DVI-IMini DisplayPort | No outputs |
Multi monitor support | + | no data |
eDP 1.2 signal support | no data | Up to 3840x2160 |
LVDS signal support | no data | Up to 1920x1200 |
VGA аnalog display support | no data | Up to 2048x1536 |
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support | no data | Up to 3840x2160 |
HDMI | + | + |
HDCP content protection | no data | + |
Maximum VGA resolution | 2048x1536 | no data |
Audio input for HDMI | Internal | no data |
7.1 channel HD audio on HDMI | no data | + |
TrueHD and DTS-HD audio bitstreaming | no data | + |
Supported Technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder | no data | + |
Optimus | no data | + |
API Compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_0) |
Shader Model | 5.1 | 5.1 |
OpenGL | 4.2 | 4.5 |
OpenCL | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Vulkan | N/A | 1.1.126 |
CUDA | + | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
870M outperforms 590 by 3% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Benchmark coverage: 25%
870M outperforms 590 by 3% in Passmark.
3DMark Vantage Performance
3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
590 outperforms 870M by 7% in 3DMark Vantage Performance.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
590 outperforms 870M by 28% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
590 outperforms 870M by 42% in 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics.
GeekBench 5 OpenCL
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.
Benchmark coverage: 9%
590 outperforms 870M by 4% in GeekBench 5 OpenCL.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
900p | 47
+4.4%
| 45−50
−4.4%
|
Full HD | 109
+137%
| 46
−137%
|
1200p | 112
+1.8%
| 110−120
−1.8%
|
4K | 18−20
−5.6%
| 19
+5.6%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
Cyberpunk 2077 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 12−14
−8.3%
|
12−14
+8.3%
|
Battlefield 5 | 27−30
−3.4%
|
30−33
+3.4%
|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 24−27
+0%
|
24−27
+0%
|
Cyberpunk 2077 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Far Cry 5 | 21−24
−4.8%
|
21−24
+4.8%
|
Far Cry New Dawn | 21−24
−4.5%
|
21−24
+4.5%
|
Forza Horizon 4 | 30−33
−3.3%
|
30−35
+3.3%
|
Hitman 3 | 21−24
−4.8%
|
21−24
+4.8%
|
Horizon Zero Dawn | 16−18
−5.9%
|
18−20
+5.9%
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 | 14−16
+0%
|
14−16
+0%
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
Watch Dogs: Legion | 14−16
+0%
|
14−16
+0%
|
Full HD
High Preset
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 12−14
−8.3%
|
12−14
+8.3%
|
Battlefield 5 | 27−30
−3.4%
|
30−33
+3.4%
|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 24−27
+0%
|
24−27
+0%
|
Cyberpunk 2077 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Far Cry 5 | 21−24
−4.8%
|
21−24
+4.8%
|
Far Cry New Dawn | 21−24
−4.5%
|
21−24
+4.5%
|
Forza Horizon 4 | 30−33
−3.3%
|
30−35
+3.3%
|
Hitman 3 | 21−24
−4.8%
|
21−24
+4.8%
|
Horizon Zero Dawn | 16−18
−5.9%
|
18−20
+5.9%
|
Metro Exodus | 12−14
+0%
|
12−14
+0%
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 | 14−16
+0%
|
14−16
+0%
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 18−20
−55.6%
|
28
+55.6%
|
Watch Dogs: Legion | 14−16
+0%
|
14−16
+0%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 18−20
+0%
|
18−20
+0%
|
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 12−14
−8.3%
|
12−14
+8.3%
|
Battlefield 5 | 27−30
−3.4%
|
30−33
+3.4%
|
Cyberpunk 2077 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Far Cry 5 | 21−24
−4.8%
|
21−24
+4.8%
|
Far Cry New Dawn | 21−24
−4.5%
|
21−24
+4.5%
|
Forza Horizon 4 | 30−33
−3.3%
|
30−35
+3.3%
|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 18−20
+20%
|
15
−20%
|
Watch Dogs: Legion | 14−16
+0%
|
14−16
+0%
|
1440p
High Preset
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 12−14
+0%
|
12−14
+0%
|
Hitman 3 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Horizon Zero Dawn | 14−16
−7.1%
|
14−16
+7.1%
|
Metro Exodus | 7−8
+0%
|
7−8
+0%
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 12−14
+0%
|
12−14
+0%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 8−9
+0%
|
8−9
+0%
|
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
Battlefield 5 | 12−14
+0%
|
12−14
+0%
|
Cyberpunk 2077 | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
Far Cry 5 | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Far Cry New Dawn | 12−14
−7.7%
|
14−16
+7.7%
|
Forza Horizon 4 | 14−16
−6.7%
|
16−18
+6.7%
|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 8−9
+0%
|
8−9
+0%
|
Watch Dogs: Legion | 3−4
−33.3%
|
4−5
+33.3%
|
4K
High Preset
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
Hitman 3 | 8−9
+0%
|
8−9
+0%
|
Horizon Zero Dawn | 8−9
+0%
|
8−9
+0%
|
Metro Exodus | 2−3
−50%
|
3−4
+50%
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 | 5−6
+0%
|
5−6
+0%
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 5−6
+0%
|
5−6
+0%
|
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 4−5
+0%
|
4−5
+0%
|
Battlefield 5 | 6−7
+0%
|
6−7
+0%
|
Cyberpunk 2077 | 1−2
+0%
|
1−2
+0%
|
Far Cry 5 | 7−8
+0%
|
7−8
+0%
|
Far Cry New Dawn | 10−11
+0%
|
10−11
+0%
|
Forza Horizon 4 | 10−11
+0%
|
10−11
+0%
|
Watch Dogs: Legion | 2−3
+0%
|
2−3
+0%
|
This is how GTX 590 and GTX 870M compete in popular games:
- GTX 590 is 4.4% faster than GTX 870M in 900p
- GTX 590 is 137% faster than GTX 870M in 1080p
- GTX 590 is 1.8% faster than GTX 870M in 1200p
- GTX 870M is 5.6% faster than GTX 590 in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 590 is 20% faster than the GTX 870M.
- in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the GTX 870M is 55.6% faster than the GTX 590.
All in all, in popular games:
- GTX 590 is ahead in 1 test (1%)
- GTX 870M is ahead in 31 test (46%)
- there's a draw in 36 tests (53%)
Pros & Cons Summary
Performance score | 8.63 | 8.91 |
Recency | 24 March 2011 | 12 March 2014 |
Maximum RAM amount | 3072 MB (1536 MB per GPU) | 6 GB |
Chip lithography | 40 nm | 28 nm |
Power consumption (TDP) | 365 Watt | 100 Watt |
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between GeForce GTX 590 and GeForce GTX 870M.
Be aware that GeForce GTX 590 is a desktop card while GeForce GTX 870M is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with Similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.