NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs AMD Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 590 has 46% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The Radeon RX 590 has 72% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
Summary
About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 GPU
The GeForce GTX 970 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card by NVIDIA. It launched in Q3 2014 with a suggested retail price of $329. Its GM204 chip that powers the GPU uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture and is fabricated on the 28 nm process.
Memory
This GPU is paired with 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 1,753 MHz memory clock and 256 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 224.4 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
Compatibility
The GTX 970 is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 148 W. NVIDIA recommends using a power supply of at least 300 W with this card. A power supply lower than this might result in system crashes and potentially damage your hardware.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The GeForce GTX 970 has the 136th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 15.28% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 16,033 score and $329 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 48.73. This is the 66th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
About the AMD Radeon RX 590 GPU
The Radeon RX 590 is a desktop graphics card by AMD. It launched in Q4 2018 with a suggested retail price of $279. Its Polaris 30 chip that powers the GPU uses the GCN 4.0 architecture and is fabricated on the 12 nm process.
Memory
This GPU is paired with 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Its 2,000 MHz memory clock and 256 bit interface gives it a bandwidth of 256 Gb/s. This impacts how much data it can store, and how fast it transfers the data to and from memory.
Compatibility
The RX 590 is a dual slot graphics card, taking up 2 PCIe slots. It supports HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a display ports. This desktop card has a TDP of 175 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.
Benchmark Performance & Value
The Radeon RX 590 has the 100th highest 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 540 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 22.26% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 23,362.5 score and $279 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 83.74. This is the 32nd 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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | AMD |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release Date | Q3 2014 | Q4 2018 |
| Launch Price (MSRP) | $329 | $279 |
| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |
| 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
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Low - 720p | -- | 137 FPS |
| Medium - 1080p | -- | 96 FPS |
| High - 1080p | -- | 86 FPS |
| Ultra - 1080p | -- | 60 FPS |
| QHD - 1440p | -- | 47 FPS |
| 4K UHD - 2160p | -- | 32 FPS |
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 44.9 | +42% |
| GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER | 37.6 | +19% |
| Radeon VII | 37.2 | +17% |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 36.6 | +15% |
| Radeon RX 5700 XT | 33.3 | +5% |
| Radeon RX 590 | 31.7 | |
| GeForce RTX 2070 | 31.7 | +0% |
| Radeon RX 5700 | 30.9 | -3% |
| Radeon RX 6600 | 29.3 | -8% |
| Radeon RX Vega 64 | 28.1 | -11% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Radeon RX 5500 XT | 8.67 | -2% |
| Radeon RX 590 | 8.8 | |
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 8.89 | +1% |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 8.99 | +2% |
| Radeon RX 5600 XT | 10.98 | +25% |
| Radeon RX 6600 | 11.23 | +28% |
| Radeon RX 5700 | 11.29 | +28% |
| Radeon RX 5700 XT | 11.98 | +36% |
| GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER | 12.58 | +43% |
| GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER | 13.27 | +51% |
Benchmark Performance
The Radeon RX 590 has 46% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 136th with a score of 16,033, and the Radeon RX 590 is ranked 100th with a score of 23,362.5.
The Radeon RX 590 has 72% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.
The GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 66th with a performance per dollar of 48.73, and the Radeon RX 590 is ranked 32nd with a performance per dollar of 83.74.
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 RTX 2060 | 27,162.5 | +69% |
| GeForce GTX 1070 | 24,652 | +54% |
| Radeon RX 590 | 23,362.5 | +46% |
| GeForce GTX 980 Ti | 23,057 | +44% |
| Radeon RX 6500 XT | 22,954 | +43% |
| Radeon R9 Nano | 17,282 | +8% |
| Radeon R9 290X | 16,167.5 | +1% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 16,033 | |
| GeForce GTX 780 Ti | 15,619 | -3% |
| GeForce GTX 1650 | 13,645 | -15% |
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 RTX 3060 Ti | 89.43 | +84% |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | 86.25 | +77% |
| Radeon RX 590 | 83.74 | +72% |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | 82.05 | +68% |
| Radeon RX 480 | 78.25 | +61% |
| GeForce GTX 960 | 54.11 | +11% |
| GeForce GTX 950 | 52.52 | +8% |
| GeForce GTX 970 | 48.73 | |
| Radeon R9 390X | 41.83 | -14% |
| Radeon R9 280X | 36.09 | -26% |
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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics | 3,544 | 4,871.5 (+37.46%) |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 3,693 | 5,271 (+42.73%) |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics | 72,819 | 86,825 (+19.23%) |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics | 11,954 | 16,813.5 (+40.65%) |
| 3DMark Night Raid Graphics | -- | 62,469 |
| 3DMark 11 Performance Score | 13,249 | 20,421.5 (+54.14%) |
| Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit | 141.6 | -- |
| PassMark G3D Mark | 9,644 (+2.44%) | 9,414 |
| PassMark G2D Mark | 773 | 792 (+2.46%) |
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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Codename | GM204 | Polaris 30 |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Size | 28 nm | 12 nm |
| Transistors | 5,200 million | 5,700 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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224.4 Gb/s | 256 Gb/s |
| Memory Clock | 1,753 MHz | 2,000 MHz |
| Memory Interface | 256 bit | 256 bit |
| L1 Cache | 48 KB | 16 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 2 slots | 2 slots |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP) | 148 W | 175 W |
| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 450 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Outputs | DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 | HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a |
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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Stream Processors (SP) | -- | 2,304 |
| CUDA Cores | 1,664 | -- |
| Compute Units (CU) | -- | 36 |
| Texture Mapping Units (TMU) | 104 | 144 |
| Render Output Units (ROP) | 56 | 32 |
| Core Clock Speed | 1,050 MHz | 1,469 MHz |
| Core Clock Speed (Boost) | 1,178 MHz | 1,545 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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel Fill Rate | 65.97 GPixel/s | 49.44 GPixel/s |
| Texture Fill Rate | 122.5 GTexel/s | 222.5 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 3.92 TFLOPS | 7.12 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 122.5 GFLOPS | 445 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 970 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |
| OpenCL | 3.0 | 2.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Shader Model | 6.7 (6.4) | 6.7 |
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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.