Radeon RX 590 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
On raw speed the Radeon RX 6500 XT comes out ahead: meaningfully ahead, about 14% 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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Radeon RX 6500 XT vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6500 XT vs Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is noticeably faster, around 14% 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 6500 XT currently lists from $199 AUD, $2,785 AUD less than the Radeon RX 590 at $2,984 AUD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 6500 XT wins on performance-per-dollar by about 1614%. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $2,705 AUD above its $279 AUD MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 113W against 225W, the Radeon RX 6500 XT is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern RDNA 2 architecture on a TSMC N6 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the Radeon RX 590 at 8GB versus 4GB on the Radeon RX 6500 XT — that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work. The Radeon RX 590's memory is also faster — 256 GB/s versus 144 GB/s (256-bit vs 64-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is roughly 4 years newer than the Radeon RX 590 (RDNA 2 vs GCN 4.0 (Polaris)), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 590 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
The Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 Radeon RX 6500 XT better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 590 or the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Is the Radeon RX 590 worth the extra $2,785 AUD over the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Does the Radeon RX 590 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 590 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | GloFo 12nm | TSMC N6 |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,304✓ | 1,024 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 16 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,469 MHz | 2,310 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,545 MHz | 2,815 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB✓ | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 64-bit |
| Memory Speed | 8 Gbps | 18 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 256 GB/s✓ | 144 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| TDP | 225 W | 113 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Released | Nov 2018 | Jan 2022 |