NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 vs AMD Radeon HD 6870
The GeForce GTX 590 has 117% better performance than the Radeon HD 6870 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon HD 6870 has 35% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 590 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Summary
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 GPU
The GeForce GTX 590 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card by NVIDIA. It launched in Q1 2011 with a suggested retail price of $699. Its GF110 chip that powers the GPU uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture and is fabricated on the 40 nm process.
This GPU is paired with 1,536 MB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 854 MHz memory clock and 384 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 164 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
The GTX 590 is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports DVI, mini-DisplayPort display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 365 W. NVIDIA recommends using a power supply of at least 750 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
The GeForce GTX 590 has the 185th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 8.74% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 9,166.5 score and $699 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 13.11. This is the 91st best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
About the AMD Radeon HD 6870 GPU
The Radeon HD 6870 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card by AMD. It launched in Q4 2010 with a suggested retail price of $239. Its Barts chip that powers the GPU uses the TeraScale 2 architecture and is fabricated on the 40 nm process.
This GPU is paired with 1,024 MB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 1,050 MHz memory clock and 256 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 134.4 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
The HD 6870 is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 1.3a, mini-DisplayPort 1.1 display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 151 W. AMD recommends using a power supply of at least 450 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
The Radeon HD 6870 has the 266th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 4.02% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 4,218 score and $239 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 17.65. This is the 89th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
General Info
General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.
| Info | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | AMD |
| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | TeraScale 2 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release Date | Q1 2011 | Q4 2010 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $699 | $239 |
| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |
| Shop | Check Price | Check Price |
Gaming Performance
Select a game to compare FPS metrics
FPS Benchmarks
This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.
- Frames Per Second
CS: GO | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 768p | -- | -- |
| Medium - 768p | -- | -- |
| High - 768p | -- | -- |
| Ultra - 1080p | -- | 189 FPS |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | -- |
| 4K UHD | -- | -- |
Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)
The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.
| GPU | Frames Per Second | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon R9 FURY | 268 | +42% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 250 | +32% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 224 | +19% |
| Radeon HD 7970 | 212.2 | +12% |
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti | 191.6 | +1% |
| Radeon HD 6870 | 189 | |
| Radeon HD 7770 (GHz Edition) | 128.2 | -32% |
| Radeon HD 6450 | 29.4 | -84% |
Compare Cost Per Frame
The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.
| GPU | Cost Per Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 0.44 | -66% |
| Radeon RX 480 | 0.8 | -36% |
| Radeon HD 7770 (GHz Edition) | 1.24 | -2% |
| Radeon HD 6870 | 1.26 | |
| GeForce GTX 660 Ti | 1.56 | +23% |
| Radeon HD 6450 | 1.87 | +48% |
| Radeon R9 290X | 1.96 | +55% |
| Radeon R9 FURY | 2.05 | +62% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 2.23 | +76% |
| Radeon HD 7970 | 2.59 | +105% |
Benchmark Performance
The GeForce GTX 590 has 117% better performance than the Radeon HD 6870 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 590 is ranked 185th with a score of 9,166.5, and the Radeon HD 6870 is ranked 266th with a score of 4,218.
The Radeon HD 6870 has 35% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 590 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 590 is ranked 91st with a performance per dollar of 13.11, and the Radeon HD 6870 is ranked 89th with a performance per dollar of 17.65.
Relative Performance
The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
| GPU | Benchmark Performance | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 680 | 10,216.5 | +11% |
| GeForce GTX 1050 Ti | 9,453 | +3% |
| GeForce GTX 590 | 9,166.5 | |
| GeForce GTX 1050 | 8,571 | -6% |
| Radeon R7 370 | 8,518.5 | -7% |
| GeForce GT 1030 | 4,727.5 | -48% |
| GeForce GTX 470 | 4,342 | -53% |
| Radeon HD 6870 | 4,218 | -54% |
| Radeon HD 7770 (GHz Edition) | 3,098 | -66% |
| Radeon HD 6450 | 623 | -93% |
Relative Value For Money
The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.
| GPU | Performance Per Dollar | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce GTX 780 Ti | 22.34 | +70% |
| GeForce GTX 680 | 20.47 | +56% |
| Radeon HD 7770 (GHz Edition) | 19.48 | +49% |
| Radeon HD 7870 (GHz Edition) | 17.75 | +35% |
| Radeon HD 6870 | 17.65 | +35% |
| Radeon HD 7970 | 14.15 | +8% |
| GeForce GTX 590 | 13.11 | |
| GeForce GTX 470 | 12.44 | -5% |
| Radeon HD 6450 | 11.33 | -14% |
| GeForce GTX 480 | 10.05 | -23% |
Benchmark Scores
This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.
- Popular
| Benchmark | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | -- | 26,437 |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | -- | 3,141 |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 8,057.5 (+77.19%) | 4,547.5 |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 3,341 (+50.56%) | 2,219 |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 392 | 406 (+3.57%) |
Technical Specs
Graphics Processor
General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | GF110 | Barts |
| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Size | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Transistors | 3,000 million | 1,700 million |
Memory Details
Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 1,536 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 164 Gb/s | 134.4 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 854 MHz | 1,050 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 384 bit | 256 bit |
| L1 Cache | 64 KB | 8 KB |
| L2 Cache | 768 KB | 512 KB |
Board Compatibility
Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | 2 slots |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 365 W | 151 W |
| Suggested PSU | 750 W | 450 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |
| Outputs | DVI, mini-DisplayPort | DVI, HDMI 1.3a, mini-DisplayPort 1.1 |
Cores & Clock Speeds
Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Stream Processors (SP) | -- | 1,120 |
| CUDA Cores | 512 | -- |
| Compute Units (CU) | -- | 14 |
| Stream Multiprocessors (SM) | 16 | -- |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 64 | 56 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 48 | 32 |
| Core Clock Speed | 607 MHz | 900 MHz |
Theoretical Performance
Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 19.46 GPixel/s | 28.8 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 38.91 GTexel/s | 50.4 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 1,244 GFLOPS | 2.02 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 155.5 GFLOPS | -- |
API Support
Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.
| Spec | GeForce GTX 590 | Radeon HD 6870 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 11.2 (11_0) |
| OpenCL | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Shader Model | 5.1 | 5.0 |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.