AMD Radeon RX 590 GME vs NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME and NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q are both end-of-life products, but they serve entirely different purposes. The RX 590 GME is a consumer gaming card from the Polaris generation, while the GRID M60-1Q is a virtualized workstation GPU designed for datacenter deployment. Benchmark data shows a single head-to-head comparison, with the AMD card holding a massive performance advantage, but the architectural and feature differences tell a more nuanced story for specific use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between the two cards is the Geekbench Vulkan test, and the results are decisively one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME scores 60,508 points, while the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q manages only 31,220 points. That translates to a 93.8% delta, meaning the AMD card delivers nearly double the Vulkan performance of the NVIDIA card. This is a massive gap, not a marginal one. In raw compute terms, the RX 590 GME offers 6.543 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput, whereas the GRID M60-1Q is capped at 4.825 TFLOPS — a 35.6% deficit that explains much of the benchmark disparity.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this trend. The RX 590 GME posts an average score of 32,601 across all tested workloads, while the GRID M60-1Q averages 31,220. That is a 4.4% advantage for the AMD card, which is modest compared to the Vulkan-specific blowout. Interestingly, the RX 590 GME’s nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 (32,540, delta 0.2%), the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (32,456, delta 0.4%), and the AMD FirePro S10000 (32,388, delta 0.7%), while the NVIDIA T600 Mobile sits just ahead at 32,849 with a -0.8% delta. The GRID M60-1Q, meanwhile, is bracketed by the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (31,206, delta 0%), the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER (31,087, delta 0.4%), and the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (31,532, delta -1%), with the TITAN RTX slightly ahead at 31,676 (delta -1.4%). The RX 590 GME also holds a 77th percentile ranking among all GPUs, versus 76th for the GRID M60-1Q — a marginal difference in overall standing.

The Vulkan test is the only head-to-head data point, but it is telling. The RX 590 GME’s 93.8% advantage in that workload is not something that can be dismissed as a fluke; it reflects a fundamental compute capability gap. The GRID M60-1Q does not even have an entry in the Geekbench OpenCL test, whereas the RX 590 GME scores 36,294 there. The NVIDIA card’s only other benchmark is its Geekbench Vulkan score, so the comparison is limited but unambiguous.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME wins decisively in any workload that leverages Vulkan or OpenCL compute. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 60,508 is nearly double the GRID M60-1Q’s 31,220, and its OpenCL score of 36,294 shows strong general-purpose compute ability. For gaming, the RX 590 GME supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. That memory capacity alone makes it viable for modern game textures and larger datasets. The card also has display outputs — 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a — so it can drive monitors directly.

The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q wins in scenarios where its architecture and feature set are tailored, even if raw benchmark numbers lag. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which is a higher feature level than the RX 590 GME’s 12_0, and it has Vulkan 1.4 support versus the AMD card’s 1.3. The GRID M60-1Q also has double the ROPs (64 vs 32), giving it a higher pixel rate of 75.39 GPixel/s compared to 45.44 GPixel/s on the AMD card. That means it can fill pixels faster in rasterization-heavy tasks, even though its texture rate of 150.8 GTexel/s is lower than the RX 590 GME’s 204.5 GTexel/s. More importantly, the GRID M60-1Q has “No outputs” — it is a virtualized GPU meant for remote or cloud environments, not physical display connection. Its 225 W TDP is higher than the RX 590 GME’s 175 W, and its suggested PSU is 550 W versus 450 W, but in a datacenter context that is less relevant than the ability to partition the GPU for multiple virtual machines.

The GRID M60-1Q also has a higher boost clock ratio relative to its base clock (557 MHz base, 1178 MHz boost) compared to the RX 590 GME (1257 MHz base, 1420 MHz boost), which suggests it can scale more aggressively under load when thermal headroom allows. But the AMD card’s higher base clock means it starts from a much stronger position.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures from different foundries. The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME uses the Polaris 20 chip based on GCN 4.0, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die size is 232 mm² with 5,700 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 24.6M per mm². The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q uses the GM204 chip based on Maxwell 2.0, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its die is significantly larger at 398 mm² but packs fewer transistors — 5,200 million — resulting in a much lower density of 13.1M per mm². The process node advantage is clear: AMD fits more transistors into a smaller area, which contributes to its higher clock speeds and compute throughput.

Clock behavior also differs sharply. The RX 590 GME runs at a 1257 MHz base and 1420 MHz boost, while the GRID M60-1Q starts at just 557 MHz base but boosts to 1178 MHz. That is a 111% increase from base to boost on the NVIDIA card, versus only 13% on the AMD card. Memory clocks tell a similar story: the AMD card uses 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) GDDR5, while the NVIDIA card uses 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Both use a 256-bit bus, but the AMD card’s higher memory clock yields 256.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 160.4 GB/s on the NVIDIA card.

The compute unit breakdown favors AMD in raw count: 2304 shading units and 144 TMUs versus 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs on the NVIDIA card. However, the GRID M60-1Q has 64 ROPs versus 32 on the AMD card, which is why its pixel rate is higher. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores. In terms of FP16, the RX 590 GME offers 6.543 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio with FP32), while the GRID M60-1Q has no FP16 data listed. API support is close, but NVIDIA edges ahead with DirectX 12_1 versus 12_0 and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3, while both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in Vulkan workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME scores 60,508 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 93.8% higher than the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q’s 31,220. This is a decisive win for the AMD card.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q have any performance advantage?

A: Yes, in pixel fill rate. The GRID M60-1Q has 64 ROPs and a pixel rate of 75.39 GPixel/s, while the RX 590 GME has 32 ROPs and a pixel rate of 45.44 GPixel/s. This makes it faster in rasterization-heavy tasks.

Q: Can either card be used for gaming with a physical monitor?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME has display outputs, with 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q has no outputs, so it cannot drive a monitor directly.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The AMD card has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA card has only 1024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5. This is an 8x difference in capacity, which is significant for large textures or datasets.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q has a TDP of 225 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME has a TDP of 175 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The AMD card is more power-efficient.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 590 GME | NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 5,200 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 398 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 13.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1257 MHz | 557 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1420 MHz | 1178 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 160.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 144 | 128 |

| ROPs | 32 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 45.44 GPixel/s | 75.39 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 204.5 GTexel/s | 150.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 6.543 TFLOPS | 4.825 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 6.543 TFLOPS (1:1) | null |

| TDP | 175 W | 225 W |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 550 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Length | 241 mm (9.5 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for most users: the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME is the superior card in nearly every measurable way. Its Vulkan performance is 93.8% higher, its FP32 compute is 35.6% higher, it has 8 GB of memory versus 1 GB, and it draws 50 W less power. It also has display outputs, making it a functional consumer card. The only meaningful advantages for the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q are its higher pixel rate (75.39 vs 45.44 GPixel/s), its more advanced DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4 support, and its larger die size — none of which compensate for the massive compute deficit.

However, the GRID M60-1Q is not a consumer product. Its lack of display outputs and its Maxwell 2.0 architecture with 64 ROPs suggest it was designed for virtualized environments where pixel throughput per watt in server racks matters more than raw compute. If the workload is purely rasterization in a virtual desktop infrastructure, the GRID M60-1Q’s higher pixel rate could be relevant, but the RX 590 GME’s 35.6% higher FP32 throughput and 60% higher memory bandwidth make it the better choice for any general-purpose or gaming workload. The average benchmark scores are close (32,601 vs 31,220), but the RX 590 GME’s percentile ranking of 77 versus 76 for the GRID M60-1Q reflects its slight overall edge. For anyone building a system that needs to output to a display, the choice is unambiguous: the RX 590 GME wins on performance, memory capacity, and power efficiency.