GPU Comparison
Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.
Market Value Leader
Only verified data for Radeon RX 6800 XT is available. Benchmarks for other models are currently being processed.
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is dramatically faster than the Radeon RX 590, leading by roughly 429% in our performance index.
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Comparable or lower specs
Radeon RX 6800 XT vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6800 XT vs Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is dramatically faster, around 429% ahead of the Radeon RX 590. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the Radeon RX 6800 XT is comfortable at 1440p, while the Radeon RX 590 is better matched to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon RX 6800 XT packs 4,608 stream processors versus 2,304 on the Radeon RX 590.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 590 pulls less power (225W vs 300W), so it's the easier card to cool and the lighter load on your PSU. The faster Radeon RX 6800 XT draws more overall but extracts more performance from each watt — plan for a sturdier power supply if you pick it. Its more modern RDNA 2 architecture on a TSMC N7 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 16GB against 8GB, the Radeon RX 6800 XT has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon RX 590's 8GB can fall short. The Radeon RX 6800 XT's memory is also faster — 512 GB/s versus 256 GB/s — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is roughly 2 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 6800 XT?
The Radeon RX 6800 XT is the faster card by about 429%. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 590 or the Radeon RX 6800 XT?
Does the Radeon RX 6800 XT have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | GloFo 12nm | TSMC N7 |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,304 | 4,608✓ |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 72 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,469 MHz | 1,825 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,545 MHz | 2,250 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 16 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 8 Gbps | 16 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 512 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon RX 590 | Radeon RX 6800 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| TDP | 225 W✓ | 300 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Nov 2018 | Oct 2020 |