GeForce GTX 590 vs Radeon RX 470

VS

Aggregate performance score

We've compared Radeon RX 470 and GeForce GTX 590, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

RX 470
2016
4 GB GDDR5, 120 Watt
20.26
+142%

RX 470 outperforms GTX 590 by a whopping 142% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking266499
Place by popularity46not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation17.300.75
Power efficiency12.081.64
ArchitectureGCN 4.0 (2016−2020)Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014)
GPU code nameEllesmereGF110
Market segmentDesktopDesktop
Release date4 August 2016 (8 years ago)24 March 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$179 $699

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.

RX 470 has 2207% better value for money than GTX 590.

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Pipelines / CUDA cores20481024
Core clock speed926 MHz607 MHz
Boost clock speed1206 MHzno data
Number of transistors5,700 million3,000 million
Manufacturing process technology14 nm40 nm
Power consumption (TDP)120 Watt365 Watt
Maximum GPU temperatureno data97 °C
Texture fill rate154.438.91
Floating-point processing power4.94 TFLOPS1.244 TFLOPS
ROPs3248
TMUs12864

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

Bus supportno data16x PCI-E 2.0
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 2.0 x16
Length241 mm279 mm
Heightno data4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm)
Width2-slot2-slot
Supplementary power connectors1x 6-pin2x 8-pin
SLI options-+

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeGDDR5GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount4 GB3072 MB (1536 MB per GPU)
Memory bus width256 Bit768-bit (384-bit per GPU)
Memory clock speed1650 MHz1707 MHz
Memory bandwidth211.2 GB/s327.7 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 Connectors1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPortThree Dual Link DVI-IMini DisplayPort
Multi monitor supportno data+
HDMI++
Maximum VGA resolutionno data2048x1536
Audio input for HDMIno dataInternal

Supported technologies

Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.

FreeSync+-

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX12 (12_0)12 (11_0)
Shader Model6.45.1
OpenGL4.64.2
OpenCL2.01.1
Vulkan1.2.131N/A
CUDA-+

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark 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.

RX 470 20.26
+142%
GTX 590 8.36

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. 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.

RX 470 8096
+142%
GTX 590 3341

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.

RX 470 17625
+92.3%
GTX 590 9167

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.

RX 470 11885
+77.9%
GTX 590 6680

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:

900p110−120
+134%
47
−134%
Full HD71
−52.1%
108
+52.1%
1200p270−280
+141%
112
−141%
1440p39
+144%
16−18
−144%
4K38
+171%
14−16
−171%

Cost per frame, $

1080p2.52
+157%
6.47
−157%
1440p4.59
+852%
43.69
−852%
4K4.71
+960%
49.93
−960%
  • RX 470 has 157% lower cost per frame in 1080p
  • RX 470 has 852% lower cost per frame in 1440p
  • RX 470 has 960% lower cost per frame in 4K

FPS performance in popular games

Full HD
Low Preset

Counter-Strike 2 35−40
+124%
16−18
−124%
Cyberpunk 2077 40−45
+147%
16−18
−147%

Full HD
Medium Preset

Battlefield 5 65−70
+136%
27−30
−136%
Counter-Strike 2 35−40
+124%
16−18
−124%
Cyberpunk 2077 40−45
+147%
16−18
−147%
Forza Horizon 4 105
+200%
35−40
−200%
Forza Horizon 5 55−60
+167%
21−24
−167%
Metro Exodus 74
+222%
21−24
−222%
Red Dead Redemption 2 45−50
+100%
24−27
−100%
Valorant 85−90
+166%
30−35
−166%

Full HD
High Preset

Battlefield 5 65−70
+136%
27−30
−136%
Counter-Strike 2 35−40
+124%
16−18
−124%
Cyberpunk 2077 40−45
+147%
16−18
−147%
Dota 2 48
+54.8%
30−35
−54.8%
Far Cry 5 52
+40.5%
35−40
−40.5%
Fortnite 110−120
+116%
50−55
−116%
Forza Horizon 4 88
+151%
35−40
−151%
Forza Horizon 5 55−60
+167%
21−24
−167%
Grand Theft Auto V 73
+135%
30−35
−135%
Metro Exodus 34
+47.8%
21−24
−47.8%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 71
+4.4%
65−70
−4.4%
Red Dead Redemption 2 45−50
+100%
24−27
−100%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 65−70
+158%
24−27
−158%
Valorant 85−90
+166%
30−35
−166%
World of Tanks 230−240
+84.5%
120−130
−84.5%

Full HD
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 65−70
+136%
27−30
−136%
Counter-Strike 2 35−40
+124%
16−18
−124%
Cyberpunk 2077 40−45
+147%
16−18
−147%
Dota 2 70−75
+139%
30−35
−139%
Far Cry 5 65−70
+86.5%
35−40
−86.5%
Forza Horizon 4 67
+91.4%
35−40
−91.4%
Forza Horizon 5 55−60
+167%
21−24
−167%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 59
−15.3%
65−70
+15.3%
Valorant 85−90
+166%
30−35
−166%

1440p
High Preset

Dota 2 33
+200%
10−12
−200%
Grand Theft Auto V 33
+200%
10−12
−200%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 170−180
+312%
40−45
−312%
Red Dead Redemption 2 18−20
+171%
7−8
−171%
World of Tanks 140−150
+125%
60−65
−125%

1440p
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 40−45
+169%
16−18
−169%
Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+171%
7−8
−171%
Cyberpunk 2077 16−18
+143%
7−8
−143%
Far Cry 5 55−60
+222%
18−20
−222%
Forza Horizon 4 51
+168%
18−20
−168%
Forza Horizon 5 30−35
+154%
12−14
−154%
Metro Exodus 46
+207%
14−16
−207%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 30−33
+150%
12−14
−150%
Valorant 55−60
+150%
21−24
−150%

4K
High Preset

Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+38.5%
12−14
−38.5%
Dota 2 33
+73.7%
18−20
−73.7%
Grand Theft Auto V 33
+73.7%
18−20
−73.7%
Metro Exodus 16−18
+300%
4−5
−300%
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS 62
+148%
24−27
−148%
Red Dead Redemption 2 12−14
+117%
6−7
−117%
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 33
+73.7%
18−20
−73.7%

4K
Ultra Preset

Battlefield 5 21−24
+200%
7−8
−200%
Counter-Strike 2 18−20
+38.5%
12−14
−38.5%
Cyberpunk 2077 7−8
+133%
3−4
−133%
Dota 2 86
+353%
18−20
−353%
Far Cry 5 27−30
+170%
10−11
−170%
Fortnite 25
+178%
9−10
−178%
Forza Horizon 4 25
+127%
10−12
−127%
Forza Horizon 5 16−18
+183%
6−7
−183%
Valorant 24−27
+225%
8−9
−225%

This is how RX 470 and GTX 590 compete in popular games:

  • RX 470 is 134% faster in 900p
  • GTX 590 is 52% faster in 1080p
  • RX 470 is 141% faster in 1200p
  • RX 470 is 144% faster in 1440p
  • RX 470 is 171% faster in 4K

Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:

  • in Dota 2, with 4K resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RX 470 is 353% faster.
  • in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the GTX 590 is 15% faster.

All in all, in popular games:

  • RX 470 is ahead in 63 tests (98%)
  • GTX 590 is ahead in 1 test (2%)

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 20.26 8.36
Recency 4 August 2016 24 March 2011
Maximum RAM amount 4 GB 3072 MB (1536 MB per GPU)
Chip lithography 14 nm 40 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 120 Watt 365 Watt

RX 470 has a 142.3% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 5 years, a 33.3% higher maximum VRAM amount, a 185.7% more advanced lithography process, and 204.2% lower power consumption.

The Radeon RX 470 is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 590 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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AMD Radeon RX 470
Radeon RX 470
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590
GeForce GTX 590

Other comparisons

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Community ratings

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