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. Best performance and best value in one card here — the clear recommendation if you can afford it.
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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 GeForce GTX 980 currently lists from $80 USD, $40 USD less than the Radeon RX 590 at $120 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 50%. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 590 is trading below its $279 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
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?
The GeForce GTX 980 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 980 better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon RX 590?
Is the Radeon RX 590 worth the extra $40 USD over the GeForce GTX 980?
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 |