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. That said, the Radeon RX 590 is the smarter buy on value — $1,481 USD less for the performance on offer.
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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 $902 USD, $1,481 USD less than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti at $2,383 USD. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 590 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~85% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 590 still sits about $623 USD above its $279 USD MSRP. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti still sits about $1,734 USD above its $649 USD 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?
Choose the GeForce GTX 980 Ti 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 only slightly lower performance.
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 $1,481 USD 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 |