GeForce GTX 1660 vs Radeon RX 590

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the GeForce GTX 1660 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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NVIDIA GeForce

GTX 1660

Price

$95 CAD✓

Performance

10/100✓

VRAM

6 GB GDDR5

Key Specs Advantage

+16% Boost Clock (1,785 MHz vs 1,545 MHz)

$95 CADPalit Grafikkarte GeForce GTX 1660 StormX - 6 GB GDDR5

Used - No Listing

AMD Radeon

RX 590

Price

$3,421 CAD

Performance

7/100

VRAM

8 GB GDDR5✓

Key Specs Advantage

+64% Stream Processors (2,304 vs 1,408)

+33% Bandwidth (256 GB/s vs 192 GB/s)

+33% Memory Bus (256-bit vs 192-bit)

$3,421 CADASRock Phantom Gaming X Radeon RX 590 DirectX 12 RX590 8G OC 8GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

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GeForce GTX 1660 vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 1660 vs Radeon RX 590

The GeForce GTX 1660 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 GeForce GTX 1660 currently lists from $95 CAD, $3,325 CAD less than the Radeon RX 590 at $3,421 CAD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 1660 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 5022%. The GeForce GTX 1660 is trading below its $219 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $3,142 CAD above its $279 CAD MSRP.

Power & Efficiency

At 120W against 225W, the GeForce GTX 1660 is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern Turing architecture on a TSMC 12nm process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

VRAM favors the Radeon RX 590 at 8GB versus 6GB on the GeForce GTX 1660 — that extra 2GB matters most at 4K, with high-res texture packs, and for content-creation/local-AI work.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 1660 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 1660 or Radeon RX 590?

The GeForce GTX 1660 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 1660 better than the Radeon RX 590?

The GeForce GTX 1660 is dramatically faster, roughly 43% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 1660 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 $3,325 CAD over the GeForce GTX 1660?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the GeForce GTX 1660 comes out ahead.

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

Its 8GB (vs 6GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 1660 or Radeon RX 590?

The GeForce GTX 1660 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.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1660 and Radeon RX 590
Specification	GeForce GTX 1660	Radeon RX 590
Architecture	Turing	GCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Process Node	TSMC 12nm	GloFo 12nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)	1,408	2,304✓

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1660 and Radeon RX 590
Specification	GeForce GTX 1660	Radeon RX 590
Base Clock	1,530 MHz✓	1,469 MHz
Boost Clock	1,785 MHz✓	1,545 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1660 and Radeon RX 590
Specification	GeForce GTX 1660	Radeon RX 590
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB✓
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bus	192-bit	256-bit✓
Memory Speed	8 Gbps	8 Gbps
Bandwidth	192 GB/s	256 GB/s✓

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 1660 and Radeon RX 590
Specification	GeForce GTX 1660	Radeon RX 590
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP	120 W✓	225 W
Power Connectors	1x 8-pin	1x 8-pin
Released	Mar 2019	Nov 2018