GPU Comparison

Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.

Quick Verdict

The Radeon RX 590 is dramatically faster than the GeForce GT 1030, leading by roughly 600% in our performance index. The GeForce GT 1030, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $703 CAD cheaper.

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VS
NVIDIA
GeForce GT 1030
Price
$87 CAD
Performance
1%
VRAM
2 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage

Comparable or lower specs

Price
$790 CAD
Performance
7%
VRAM
8 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+500% Stream Processors (2,304 vs 384)
+433% Bandwidth (256 GB/s vs 48 GB/s)
+300% Memory Bus (256-bit vs 64-bit)

Radeon RX 590 vs GeForce GT 1030: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: Radeon RX 590 vs GeForce GT 1030

The Radeon RX 590 is dramatically faster, around 600% ahead of the GeForce GT 1030. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Price & Value

Right now the GeForce GT 1030 starts at $87 CAD against $790 CAD for the Radeon RX 590. Despite being slower, the GeForce GT 1030 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~29% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $511 CAD above its $279 CAD MSRP.

Power & Efficiency

The GeForce GT 1030 draws just 30W versus 225W for the Radeon RX 590, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

With 8GB against 2GB, the Radeon RX 590 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the GeForce GT 1030's 2GB can fall short.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GT 1030 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 GT 1030 or Radeon RX 590?

Choose the Radeon RX 590 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce GT 1030 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon RX 590 better than the GeForce GT 1030?

The Radeon RX 590 is dramatically faster, roughly 600% ahead. The GeForce GT 1030 is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GT 1030 or the Radeon RX 590?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the Radeon RX 590 worth the extra $703 CAD over the GeForce GT 1030?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the GeForce GT 1030 comes out ahead.

Does the Radeon RX 590 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 2GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon RX 590
ArchitecturePascalGCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Process NodeSamsung 14nmGloFo 12nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)3842,304

Clock Speeds

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon RX 590
Base Clock1,227 MHz1,469 MHz
Boost Clock1,468 MHz1,545 MHz

Memory

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon RX 590
VRAM Capacity2 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bus64-bit256-bit
Memory Speed6 Gbps8 Gbps
Bandwidth48 GB/s256 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationGeForce GT 1030Radeon RX 590
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP30 W225 W
Power ConnectorsNone1x 8-pin
ReleasedMay 2017Nov 2018