AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 590 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z represent two very different approaches to high-end graphics, separated by nearly four and a half years of GPU evolution. The RX 590, built on a mature 12 nm Polaris process, delivers a higher average benchmark score of 24,744 compared to the TITAN Z’s 23,736, a lead of roughly 4.2%. However, the TITAN Z counters with a higher pixel fill rate of 52.56 GPixel/s versus the RX 590’s 49.44 GPixel/s, and a wider 384-bit memory bus that yields 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth against the RX 590’s 256.0 GB/s. The data paints a clear picture: the RX 590 wins on overall compute efficiency and modern API support, while the TITAN Z retains advantages in raw rasterization throughput and memory bandwidth, though at a staggering power cost.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 590 is the clear winner for modern, API-forward workloads. Its average benchmark score of 24,744 places it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, while the TITAN Z’s 23,736 score sits at the 69th percentile. This slim but consistent lead is driven by the RX 590’s newer GCN 4.0 architecture, which supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, compared to the TITAN Z’s DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175. In practical terms, the RX 590 will handle contemporary DX12 and Vulkan titles with full feature sets, whereas the TITAN Z is limited to older API paths. The RX 590 also delivers 7.119 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, a substantial 41% advantage over the TITAN Z’s 5.046 TFLOPS, making it the better choice for compute-heavy tasks like physics simulations or rendering workloads that leverage shader cores.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z wins in legacy rasterization and memory-bound scenarios. Its 48 ROPs and 240 TMUs exceed the RX 590’s 32 ROPs and 144 TMUs, translating to a higher pixel rate of 52.56 GPixel/s versus 49.44 GPixel/s. The TITAN Z’s 384-bit memory bus provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, a 31% advantage over the RX 590’s 256.0 GB/s, which can benefit high-resolution texture streaming or multi-monitor setups. However, this comes at a brutal cost: the TITAN Z draws 375 W TDP versus the RX 590’s 175 W, requiring a 750 W suggested PSU and two 8-pin connectors, whereas the RX 590 needs only a 450 W PSU and a single 8-pin connector. The TITAN Z also wins on raw texture throughput at 210.2 GTexel/s, edging out the RX 590’s 222.5 GTexel/s — wait, that is actually lower. The RX 590’s texture rate is 222.5 GTexel/s, which is 5.9% higher than the TITAN Z’s 210.2 GTexel/s, making the RX 590 the winner in that metric as well.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 590 leads with an average benchmark score of 24,744, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z’s 23,736. The RX 590 also holds a 70th percentile ranking versus the TITAN Z’s 69th percentile.

Q: Does the TITAN Z have any performance metric where it beats the RX 590?

A: Yes, the TITAN Z has a higher pixel rate (52.56 GPixel/s vs 49.44 GPixel/s) and significantly higher memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s) due to its 384-bit bus. It also has more ROPs (48 vs 32) and TMUs (240 vs 144).

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The RX 590 is dramatically more power-efficient, with a 175 W TDP versus the TITAN Z’s 375 W TDP. The RX 590 requires a 450 W suggested PSU and a single 8-pin connector, while the TITAN Z needs a 750 W PSU and two 8-pin connectors.

Q: What API level does each GPU support?

A: The RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The TITAN Z supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, meaning it lacks full DX12 feature support.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The TITAN Z has 2,880 shading units, which is 25% more than the RX 590’s 2,304. Despite this, the RX 590’s higher clocks (1545 MHz boost vs 876 MHz) result in higher FP32 throughput.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus (256.0 GB/s), while the TITAN Z has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus (336.0 GB/s). The TITAN Z has less capacity but higher bandwidth.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data shows zero direct comparisons, so we rely on the individual benchmark scores and aggregate metrics. In Geekbench, the RX 590 scores 48,407 in Metal, while the TITAN Z scores 25,465 in OpenCL and 22,006 in Vulkan. These are different API tests, but the RX 590’s Metal score is nearly double the TITAN Z’s OpenCL score, indicating a massive advantage in Apple ecosystem compute performance. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 590 scores 1,081, a test the TITAN Z cannot run at full feature support given its DX12 (11_1) limitation.

Looking at theoretical peak rates, the RX 590’s FP32 throughput of 7.119 TFLOPS is 41% higher than the TITAN Z’s 5.046 TFLOPS. The RX 590 also achieves 222.5 GTexel/s versus 210.2 GTexel/s, a 5.9% advantage in texture fill. The TITAN Z fights back with 52.56 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 49.44 GPixel/s, a 6.3% advantage. In memory bandwidth, the TITAN Z’s 336.0 GB/s is 31% higher than the RX 590’s 256.0 GB/s. These numbers suggest the TITAN Z excels in scenarios where pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are paramount, such as high-resolution MSAA or large texture sets, while the RX 590 dominates in shader-heavy compute and modern API workloads.

Specification Differences

The RX 590 and TITAN Z differ across nearly every major specification. The RX 590 uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die (transistor density 24.6M/mm²). The TITAN Z uses a 28 nm process from TSMC with 7,080 million transistors on a massive 561 mm² die (density 12.6M/mm²). The RX 590 has a 1469 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost clock, while the TITAN Z runs at 705 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. Memory: RX 590 has 8 GB GDDR5 at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) on a 256-bit bus; TITAN Z has 6 GB GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) on a 384-bit bus. The RX 590 has 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the TITAN Z has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Physical dimensions: RX 590 is 241 mm (9.5 inches) dual-slot with 1x 8-pin; TITAN Z is 267 mm (10.5 inches) x 111 mm (4.4 inches) x 62 mm (2.4 inches) triple-slot with 2x 8-pin. Display outputs: RX 590 has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; TITAN Z has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational. The RX 590 is built on GCN 4.0 (Polaris 30) and belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation, released in November 2018. It uses a 12 nm process, supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, and offers FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio (7.119 TFLOPS). The TITAN Z is built on Kepler (GK110B) and belongs to the GeForce 700 generation, released in May 2014. It uses a 28 nm process, supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, and has no FP16 support (null). The RX 590’s newer architecture delivers better IPC per clock, explaining how it achieves higher FP32 despite fewer shading units. The TITAN Z’s Kepler architecture was designed for compute, but its lower clocks and older process limit its efficiency. The RX 590 also supports newer display outputs (HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a) versus the TITAN Z’s legacy DVI and DisplayPort 1.2, making it more compatible with modern monitors and VR headsets. Both are end-of-life products, but the RX 590’s successor is Vega, while the TITAN Z’s successor is GeForce 900.

The Verdict

The data overwhelmingly favors the AMD Radeon RX 590 for any modern workload. It delivers a higher average benchmark score (24,744 vs 23,736), a higher percentile ranking (70th vs 69th), and superior FP32 compute (7.119 TFLOPS vs 5.046 TFLOPS). It supports full DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, has double the FP16 throughput (7.119 TFLOPS vs none), and does so at less than half the power draw (175 W vs 375 W). The RX 590 requires a 450 W PSU and a single 8-pin connector, making it far easier to install in existing systems. Its 8 GB of VRAM also exceeds the TITAN Z’s 6 GB, which is increasingly important for modern game textures.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z is only preferable in narrow legacy scenarios. Its 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 52.56 GPixel/s pixel rate exceed the RX 590, which could benefit certain high-resolution, multi-monitor, or compute workloads that are bandwidth-bound rather than compute-bound. Its 2,880 shading units and 240 TMUs provide raw rasterization muscle, but the lower clocks (876 MHz boost) cripple its effective throughput. The TITAN Z’s launch MSRP of 2,999 USD versus the RX 590’s 279 USD — a 10.7x price difference — makes the RX 590 the only rational choice for virtually all users. The TITAN Z is a relic of a bygone era, while the RX 590 remains a capable modern GPU. For 99% of use cases, the RX 590 is the definitive winner.