GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon RX 590
On raw speed the GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes out ahead: far and away the quicker card, about 43% ahead of the Radeon RX 590. Best performance and best value in one card here — the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
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GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon RX 590
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster, around 43% ahead of the Radeon RX 590. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
The Radeon RX 590 currently lists from $2,984 AUD, $512 AUD less than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti at $3,496 AUD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti wins on performance-per-dollar by about 22%. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $2,705 AUD above its $279 AUD MSRP. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti still sits about $2,847 AUD above its $649 AUD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
On power, the Radeon RX 590 is the gentler choice at 225W versus 250W. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is more efficient per watt because it's faster, but its higher 250W draw means more heat and a bigger PSU.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the Radeon RX 590 at 8GB versus 6GB on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti — that extra 2GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 590 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti (GCN 4.0 (Polaris) vs Maxwell), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 590 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 Ti or Radeon RX 590?
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon RX 590 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti or the Radeon RX 590?
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti worth the extra $512 AUD over the Radeon RX 590?
Does the Radeon RX 590 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 Ti or Radeon RX 590?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,816✓ | 2,304 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,000 MHz | 1,469 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,075 MHz | 1,545 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 6 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit✓ | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 336.5 GB/s✓ | 256 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 250 W | 225 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jun 2015 | Nov 2018 |