AMD Radeon RX 590 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL Comparison

# AMD Radeon RX 590 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL

The benchmark database shows a clear overall winner: the AMD Radeon RX 590 posts an average benchmark score of 24,744, which is 17% higher than the RX Vega M GL's 21,153. The RX 590 sits at the 70th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX Vega M GL sits at the 66th percentile. This is a desktop discrete card versus a mobile integrated graphics solution, and the data reflects that gap across nearly every measurable category.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct head-to-head benchmark results are not recorded in the database, so the comparison relies on average scores and individual test results. The RX 590 delivers 7.119 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RX Vega M GL delivers 2.588 TFLOPS. That is a 175% advantage for the RX 590 in raw shader throughput. In practical terms, the RX 590 has nearly three times the compute capacity of the Vega M GL.

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database provides additional context. The RX 590's average score of 24,744 places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24,763), 0.4% ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24,647), 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (24,442), and 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (24,277). These are tight margins, indicating the RX 590 competes with a cluster of mid-range GPUs from a similar performance tier.

The RX Vega M GL's average score of 21,153 places it 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21,237), 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 (21,035), 1.1% behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21,379), and 2.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20,713). The Vega M GL sits in a lower performance band, roughly 15-17% below the RX 590's neighborhood.

In individual tests, the RX 590 records a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,081 and a Geekbench Metal score of 48,407. The RX Vega M GL records a Geekbench OpenCL score of 19,549 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 22,757. While these tests are not directly comparable across different APIs, the magnitude of the Metal score difference (48,407 versus 19,549 and 22,757) reinforces the RX 590's substantial performance lead.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the GCN 4.0 architecture, but they are built on different processes and use different chip designs. The RX 590 uses the Polaris 30 chip fabricated on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The RX Vega M GL uses the Polaris 22 chip fabricated on a 14 nm process, also at GlobalFoundries, with 5,000 million transistors on a 208 mm² die. The RX 590's newer 12 nm node allows for higher transistor density at 24.6 million transistors per mm², versus 24.0 million for the Vega M GL.

The RX 590 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX Vega M GL has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 590 therefore has 80% more shaders and 80% more TMUs, while both parts have identical ROP counts. This explains the massive difference in texture rate: 222.5 GTexel/s for the RX 590 versus 80.88 GTexel/s for the Vega M GL. Pixel rates differ as well, with the RX 590 at 49.44 GPixel/s and the Vega M GL at 32.35 GPixel/s.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The RX 590 runs at a base clock of 1,469 MHz and boosts to 1,545 MHz. The RX Vega M GL runs at a base of 931 MHz and boosts to 1,011 MHz. The RX 590's higher clocks compound with its larger shader count to produce the substantial FP32 advantage.

Memory subsystems diverge significantly. The RX 590 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 2,000 MHz and 8 Gbps effective speed, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX Vega M GL uses 4 GB of HBM2 memory on a 1,024-bit bus, with a memory clock of 700 MHz and 1,400 Mbps effective speed, delivering 179.2 GB/s. The RX 590 has twice the capacity and 43% more bandwidth, though the Vega M GL's HBM2 memory achieves this with a much wider bus.

Both support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores. Both have FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, meaning 7.119 TFLOPS for the RX 590 and 2.588 TFLOPS for the Vega M GL.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 590 outperforms the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL in every recorded performance metric. Its average benchmark score is 17% higher, its FP32 compute is 175% higher, its texture rate is 175% higher, and its memory bandwidth is 43% higher. The RX 590 also has twice the memory capacity at 8 GB versus 4 GB.

The RX Vega M GL's advantages are limited to power consumption and form factor. It draws 65 W versus the RX 590's 175 W, a difference of 110 W. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no dedicated power connector and no suggested PSU rating, while the RX 590 is a dual-slot card requiring a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 450 W suggested PSU. The Vega M GL is designed for portable devices, with display outputs listed as "Portable Device Dependent," while the RX 590 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

For users choosing between these two, the decision comes down to the use case. The RX 590 is the clear choice for desktop gaming and compute workloads where performance matters and power draw is acceptable. The RX Vega M GL is the choice for compact, power-efficient portable systems where the 65 W TDP and IGP form factor are essential constraints. The RX 590's launch MSRP was 279 USD, though the production status for both parts is end-of-life.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field:

• Process Node: RX 590 uses 12 nm, RX Vega M GL uses 14 nm
• Transistors: RX 590 has 5,700 million, RX Vega M GL has 5,000 million
• Die Size: RX 590 is 232 mm², RX Vega M GL is 208 mm²
• Transistor Density: RX 590 is 24.6M / mm², RX Vega M GL is 24.0M / mm²
• Base Clock: RX 590 is 1,469 MHz, RX Vega M GL is 931 MHz
• Boost Clock: RX 590 is 1,545 MHz, RX Vega M GL is 1,011 MHz
• Memory Clock: RX 590 is 2,000 MHz (8 Gbps effective), RX Vega M GL is 700 MHz (1,400 Mbps effective)
• Memory Size: RX 590 has 8 GB, RX Vega M GL has 4 GB
• Memory Type: RX 590 uses GDDR5, RX Vega M GL uses HBM2
• Memory Bus Width: RX 590 is 256-bit, RX Vega M GL is 1,024-bit
• Memory Bandwidth: RX 590 is 256.0 GB/s, RX Vega M GL is 179.2 GB/s
• Shading Units: RX 590 has 2,304, RX Vega M GL has 1,280
• TMUs: RX 590 has 144, RX Vega M GL has 80
• Pixel Rate: RX 590 is 49.44 GPixel/s, RX Vega M GL is 32.35 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: RX 590 is 222.5 GTexel/s, RX Vega M GL is 80.88 GTexel/s
• FP32: RX 590 is 7.119 TFLOPS, RX Vega M GL is 2.588 TFLOPS
• FP16: RX 590 is 7.119 TFLOPS (1:1), RX Vega M GL is 2.588 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: RX 590 is 175 W, RX Vega M GL is 65 W
• Slot Width: RX 590 is dual-slot, RX Vega M GL is IGP
• Power Connectors: RX 590 has 1x 8-pin, RX Vega M GL has none
• Suggested PSU: RX 590 is 450 W, RX Vega M GL has none
• Bus Interface: RX 590 is PCIe 3.0 x16, RX Vega M GL is IGP
• Display Outputs: RX 590 has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, RX Vega M GL is Portable Device Dependent
• Release Date: RX 590 released 2018-11-14, RX Vega M GL released 2018-01-31
• Launch MSRP: RX 590 is 279 USD, RX Vega M GL has none

The ROP count is identical at 32 for both. Both support the same API set: DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 590 has an average benchmark score of 24,744, which is 17% higher than the RX Vega M GL's 21,153.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in FP32 compute performance?

A: The RX 590 delivers 7.119 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RX Vega M GL delivers 2.588 TFLOPS, giving the RX 590 a 175% advantage.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX Vega M GL has 4 GB of HBM2 memory on a 1,024-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU consumes less power?

A: The RX Vega M GL has a TDP of 65 W, while the RX 590 has a TDP of 175 W. The Vega M GL also has no power connectors and no suggested PSU rating.

Q: Are there any architectural similarities between the two?

A: Both use the GCN 4.0 architecture, have 32 ROPs, support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, and have FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with FP32.

Q: What is the production status of both GPUs?

A: Both the AMD Radeon RX 590 and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL are listed as end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 590 wins in every performance category recorded in the database. It has higher average benchmark scores (24,744 versus 21,153), higher FP32 throughput (7.119 TFLOPS versus 2.588 TFLOPS), higher texture rate (222.5 GTexel/s versus 80.88 GTexel/s), higher pixel rate (49.44 GPixel/s versus 32.35 GPixel/s), and higher memory bandwidth (256.0 GB/s versus 179.2 GB/s). It also has more shading units (2,304 versus 1,280), more TMUs (144 versus 80), and twice the memory capacity (8 GB versus 4 GB). The RX 590 is the pick for desktop gaming, high-resolution texture workloads, and any compute task where shader throughput and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL wins in power efficiency and physical integration. It draws 65 W versus 175 W for the RX 590, making it the appropriate choice for portable or compact systems where power draw and thermal output are constrained. Its IGP form factor means it requires no power connectors, no suggested PSU, and no PCIe slot, which suits thin-and-light designs. The Vega M GL's HBM2 memory on a 1,024-bit bus delivers 179.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is respectable for its 65 W envelope, though still below the RX 590's 256.0 GB/s. The Vega M GL is the pick for mobile workstations or mini PCs where the 65 W TDP and integrated design are non-negotiable, and where the performance gap to the RX 590 is acceptable for the power savings.