AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile and the AMD Radeon RX 590 in nearly the same performance tier overall, yet their capabilities diverge sharply depending on the workload. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile holds a commanding lead in modern DirectX 12 workloads, while the RX 590’s profile is defined by older API performance and a different set of hardware priorities.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single directly comparable benchmark in the data is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile scores 2869, while the AMD Radeon RX 590 scores 1081. This translates to a 165.4% advantage for the NVIDIA part, meaning the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile delivers over two and a half times the frame rate in this specific test. This is not a marginal difference; it represents a generational gap in raw compute throughput for modern graphics APIs.

While the RX 590 lacks a corresponding score in the same 3DMark test, its average benchmark score across all tests is 24744, compared to the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile’s 25740. The delta between their average scores is only about 4%, placing them in the same performance neighborhood when averaged across diverse workloads. However, this aggregate figure obscures the fact that the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile’s performance is heavily weighted toward newer, more demanding rendering paths, whereas the RX 590’s average is buoyed by its performance in other, less specified tests.

The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile also demonstrates its strength in compute-oriented benchmarks. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 117866, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 107502. In contrast, the RX 590’s only listed Geekbench result is a Metal score of 48407, which is not directly comparable but suggests a significantly lower compute throughput. The Passmark suite further highlights the split: the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile scores 19288 in Passmark G3D and 8471 in Passmark GPU Compute, while the RX 590 has no listed scores in these specific Passmark tests. The data consistently points to the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile as the superior performer in any modern, compute-heavy or DX12-optimized scenario.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile wins decisively in every category where direct comparison data exists. Its 165.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 makes it the clear choice for gamers and professionals running the latest DirectX 12 titles or using applications that leverage DX12’s advanced features. Its high Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores also indicate strong performance in general-purpose GPU computing, machine learning inference, and Vulkan-based games or renderers. The architecture is built for the future, with support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with the latest software standards.

The AMD Radeon RX 590’s wins are not measured in raw performance against the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile, but rather in its specific hardware profile. It is a dual-slot, 241 mm (9.5 inches) desktop card with a 175 W TDP and a single 8-pin power connector, requiring a 450 W power supply. This makes it a straightforward, self-contained solution for a desktop build. Its memory configuration of 8 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus is a legacy standard. The RX 590’s only benchmark win in the data is its Geekbench Metal score of 48407, which, while lower than the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile’s other scores, is a data point the NVIDIA card does not have, indicating it could be the better option for macOS or Metal-based workflows. However, this is a narrow niche. For all other metrics, the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the undisputed winner.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 25740, compared to the AMD Radeon RX 590’s 24744.

Q: How large is the performance gap in DirectX 12?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile scores 2869, which is 165.4% higher than the RX 590’s score of 1081.

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the AMD Radeon RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What is the TDP of each card?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has a TDP of 115 W, and the RX 590 has a TDP of 175 W.

Q: Which GPU is better for modern API support?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, indicating the NVIDIA card is more future-proof.

Q: Does the RX 590 have any benchmark advantage?

A: The RX 590 has a Geekbench Metal score of 48407, a test in which the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has no listed score, suggesting a potential edge in Metal-based applications.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ fundamentally in their specifications. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is built on an 8 nm process at Samsung, featuring 22,000 million transistors on a 496 mm² die. The RX 590 uses a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has a base clock of 810 MHz and a boost clock of 1260 MHz, while the RX 590 operates at a higher base clock of 1469 MHz and a boost clock of 1545 MHz.

Memory configurations are also starkly different. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus and 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card’s memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), whereas the AMD card’s memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective).

The compute units scale accordingly. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, producing 121.0 GPixel/s and 292.3 GTexel/s. The RX 590 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, producing 49.44 GPixel/s and 222.5 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 18.71 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card versus 7.119 TFLOPS for the AMD card. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile also has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores, which the RX 590 lacks entirely. The bus interface differs, with the NVIDIA card using PCIe 4.0 x16 and the AMD card using PCIe 3.0 x16. The RX 590 is a dual-slot card with a 241 mm (9.5 inches) length, while the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile has no listed dimensions.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational. The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is based on the Ampere architecture, utilizing the GA103 chip, and is part of the GeForce 30-series. It is designed for mobile platforms with no power connectors listed and a TDP of 115 W. The RX 590 is based on the older GCN 4.0 architecture, using the Polaris 30 chip, and belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation. It is a desktop card with a 175 W TDP, a dual-slot cooler, and a single 8-pin power connector.

The RTX 3080 Ti Mobile includes dedicated ray tracing cores (58) and tensor cores (232), enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features. The RX 590 has no such dedicated hardware, relying on traditional shader-based rendering. The NVIDIA card supports a broader set of modern APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The manufacturing process and transistor density also differ, with the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile having a transistor density of 44.4M / mm² versus 24.6M / mm² for the RX 590. The RX 590’s display outputs are specified as 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile’s outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the superior GPU for any workload that stresses modern graphics APIs or compute performance. Its 165.4% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is a massive gap, and its higher FP32 throughput (18.71 TFLOPS vs 7.119 TFLOPS) and double the memory bandwidth (512.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s) confirm its dominance. Anyone prioritizing DirectX 12 gaming, Vulkan-based applications, or general-purpose GPU compute should choose the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile. Its inclusion of ray tracing and tensor cores also makes it the only option of the two for hardware-accelerated ray tracing or AI-assisted features.

The AMD Radeon RX 590 is a legacy product, and the data supports its status. It has a lower average benchmark score (24744 vs 25740), less memory, and significantly lower compute metrics. Its only advantage in the data is a Geekbench Metal score, which is irrelevant for most users outside of specific Apple ecosystems. The RX 590’s higher clocks (1545 MHz boost vs 1260 MHz) and lower transistor count do not compensate for its architectural age. Its desktop form factor and specific power connector requirements make it a simple drop-in for older PCs, but its performance ceiling is far lower. For a buyer choosing between these two, the RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the only sensible option based on the benchmark evidence. The RX 590 should only be considered if a specific, non-DX12, non-Vulkan workload is the sole requirement, or if the user is constrained to a system that cannot support a mobile-class GPU.