AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 590 vs. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti is a textbook generational clash: a modern 12 nm Polaris GPU against a 28 nm Kepler behemoth from 2013. The benchmark data shows a decisive shift in performance, but the story is more nuanced than a simple win/loss tally. While both cards occupy the same 70th percentile in the overall GPU hierarchy, their architectural philosophies and the resulting scores tell very different tales about how each handles modern workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench Metal, and the result is a landslide. The AMD Radeon RX 590 scores 48,407 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti manages just 18,144 points. That is a delta of 166.8%, meaning the RX 590 delivers more than 2.5 times the Metal performance of the GTX 780 Ti. This is not a marginal victory; it is a generational obliteration, reflecting the RX 590’s superior architecture and driver maturity in Apple’s compute framework.

However, the aggregate benchmark picture provides a different perspective. The RX 590’s average benchmark score is 24,744, while the GTX 780 Ti’s is 24,236. That puts the AMD card only 2.1% ahead on average, a far cry from the 166.8% gap seen in Metal. This discrepancy suggests that while the RX 590 crushes the GTX 780 Ti in Metal-specific tests, the older NVIDIA card remains surprisingly competitive in other, likely DirectX or OpenCL-based workloads. The GTX 780 Ti’s raw specs—2880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs—still allow it to push significant throughput in legacy scenarios.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card clarifies their respective positions. The RX 590’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, with an average score of 24,763, a delta of -0.1%. This places the RX 590 essentially neck-and-neck with a professional mobile GPU. The GTX 780 Ti, meanwhile, sits just 0.2% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (24,277) and 0.3% above the RTX 2080 SUPER (24,170). This positioning suggests that despite its age, the GTX 780 Ti’s average performance is still in the same league as much newer entry-level and mid-range cards, though it lacks the modern feature set to excel in newer APIs.

The wins tally is 1-0 in favor of the RX 590, but that single win is so lopsided that it dominates the narrative. In synthetic compute via Metal, the RX 590 is unequivocally superior. In broader average performance, the two cards are nearly indistinguishable, separated by less than 3% from their nearest rivals in most cases. The data suggests that the RX 590 is the better choice for modern, API-heavy workloads, while the GTX 780 Ti holds its ground in older, more established benchmarks.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 590 holds a marginal lead, with an average score of 24,744 compared to the GTX 780 Ti’s 24,236, a difference of just over 2%.

Q: How significant is the RX 590’s win in Geekbench Metal?

A: It is overwhelming. The RX 590 scores 48,407 versus the GTX 780 Ti’s 18,144, resulting in a 166.8% performance advantage for the AMD card.

Q: Are these two GPUs considered equivalent in overall performance?

A: Yes, according to the data. Both cards have a percentile ranking of 70 against all GPUs, and their average scores are within 2.1% of each other.

Q: What are the closest rivals to the GTX 780 Ti in terms of average score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 is the nearest, with an average score of 24,277, placing the GTX 780 Ti just 0.2% behind it.

Q: Does the RX 590 have a clear advantage in any other specific benchmark?

A: The data only includes one head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench Metal), which the RX 590 wins decisively. No other direct comparisons are provided.

Q: Which card’s average score is closer to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 590, with a score of 24,744, is nearly identical to the RTX A5000 Mobile’s 24,763, showing a delta of just -0.1%.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two cards is vast, explaining the divergent benchmark results. The RX 590 is built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.6M per mm². In contrast, the GTX 780 Ti uses the older Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains more transistors—7,080 million—but on a much larger 561 mm² die, resulting in a lower density of just 12.6M per mm².

The memory subsystems reflect their eras. The RX 590 offers 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GTX 780 Ti counters with only 3 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, providing a higher bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s. While the NVIDIA card has a theoretical bandwidth advantage, the AMD card’s larger capacity is crucial for modern games and textures. Clock speeds also favor the RX 590, with a base of 1469 MHz and a boost of 1545 MHz, versus the GTX 780 Ti’s much lower 875 MHz base and 928 MHz boost.

Feature support is another key divider. The RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.3, and has a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, delivering 7.119 TFLOPS in both formats. The GTX 780 Ti only supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175, with no FP16 support listed and a lower FP32 throughput of 5.345 TFLOPS. The RX 590 also boasts modern display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a) versus the GTX 780 Ti’s legacy ports (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2). These architectural differences explain why the RX 590 excels in compute-heavy, modern APIs like Metal, while the GTX 780 Ti’s older design limits its potential.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear, though not universal, verdict. For anyone running modern, API-intensive workloads—particularly those leveraging Metal or DirectX 12 features—the AMD Radeon RX 590 is the definitive choice. Its 166.8% lead in Geekbench Metal is the single most decisive metric in this comparison, and its support for Vulkan 1.3 and full DirectX 12 (12_0) ensures better future-proofing. The RX 590 also offers significantly more memory (8 GB vs. 3 GB), which is critical for modern game textures, and its higher clock speeds and transistor density indicate a more efficient design.

On the other hand, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti should not be dismissed outright. Its average benchmark score is within 2.1% of the RX 590, and its higher memory bandwidth (336.6 GB/s vs. 256.0 GB/s) plus a larger number of shading units (2880 vs. 2304) give it raw compute muscle that still competes in older, less API-dependent tests. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 2080 SUPER and RX 6600 XT, placing it in respectable company despite its age.

The choice hinges on workload. The RX 590 is the pick for modern titles and compute tasks that utilize current APIs, where its architectural advantages shine. The GTX 780 Ti remains a viable option for legacy software and scenarios where its high bandwidth and raw shader count are more relevant. The data shows that while the RX 590 is the newer, more capable card overall, the GTX 780 Ti is far from obsolete in aggregate performance. The RX 590’s 70th percentile ranking is matched by the GTX 780 Ti, but the AMD card achieves it with a fraction of the power draw (175 W vs. 250 W) and a much smaller die, indicating superior efficiency.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key areas where the two cards diverge:

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 590 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 7,080 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 561 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1469 MHz | 875 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1545 MHz | 928 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 3 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 336.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 2880 |

| TMUs | 144 | 240 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| FP32 Performance | 7.119 TFLOPS | 5.345 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 7.119 TFLOPS (1:1) | None |

| TDP | 175 W | 250 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 600 W |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.175 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 |

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