GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 590
The GeForce GTX 980 and Radeon RX 590 trade blows on raw performance, landing within a few percent of each other. That said, the Radeon RX 590 is the smarter buy on value — $4,542 BRL less for the performance on offer.
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GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 590
The GeForce GTX 980 and Radeon RX 590 post nearly the same score in our performance index, so neither holds a meaningful raw-speed advantage. Both are best suited to entry-level 1080p gaming.
Price & Value
The Radeon RX 590 currently lists from $1,312 BRL, $4,542 BRL less than the GeForce GTX 980 at $5,854 BRL. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 590 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~346% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $1,033 BRL above its $279 BRL MSRP. The GeForce GTX 980 still sits about $5,305 BRL above its $549 BRL MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
At 165W against 225W, the GeForce GTX 980 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
VRAM favors the Radeon RX 590 at 8GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 980 — that extra 4GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 590 is roughly 4 years newer than the GeForce GTX 980 (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 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 or Radeon RX 590?
Choose the GeForce GTX 980 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 590 stretches your money further for near-identical performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon RX 590?
Is the GeForce GTX 980 worth the extra $4,542 BRL over the Radeon RX 590?
Does the Radeon RX 590 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon RX 590?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,048 | 2,304✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz | 1,469 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz | 1,545 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 256 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 225 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Nov 2018 |