Radeon RX 5700 vs Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 5700 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 114% ahead of the Radeon RX 590. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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Radeon RX 5700 vs Radeon RX 590: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 5700 vs Radeon RX 590
The Radeon RX 5700 is dramatically faster, around 114% ahead of the Radeon RX 590. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the Radeon RX 5700 is comfortable at 1080p, while the Radeon RX 590 is better matched to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the Radeon RX 590 at $120 USD, $50 USD under the Radeon RX 5700's $170 USD. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX 5700 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 51%. The Radeon RX 590 is trading below its $279 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 5700 is trading below its $349 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the Radeon RX 5700 (180W vs 225W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter. Its more modern RDNA architecture on a TSMC N7 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
Memory & Bandwidth
The Radeon RX 5700's memory is faster — 448 GB/s versus 256 GB/s — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 5700 or Radeon RX 590?
The Radeon RX 5700 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 Radeon RX 5700 better than the Radeon RX 590?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 5700 or the Radeon RX 590?
Is the Radeon RX 5700 worth the extra $50 USD over the Radeon RX 590?
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 5700 or Radeon RX 590?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon RX 5700 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC N7 | GloFo 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,304 | 2,304 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon RX 5700 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,465 MHz | 1,469 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,725 MHz✓ | 1,545 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon RX 5700 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps✓ | 8 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 448 GB/s✓ | 256 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon RX 5700 | Radeon RX 590 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 180 W✓ | 225 W |
| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Jul 2019 | Nov 2018 |