AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database shows a complete generational mismatch. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 dominates the AMD Radeon RX 590 in every recorded metric, with an average benchmark score of 27,565 compared to 24,744 for the RX 590. The RTX 3090 sits at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 590 sits at the 70th percentile, but that narrow percentile gap masks the actual performance separation. The RTX 3090's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (0.5% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (0.5% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (1% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7800M (1.1% behind). The RX 590's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (0.1% behind), the Intel Arc A350M (0.4% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (1.2% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (1.9% ahead).

The RTX 3090 is for users who need maximum compute and ray tracing capability at the top of the desktop stack. It delivers a 373.5% advantage over the RX 590 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, a gap so large that the RX 590 cannot be considered a competitor in any modern workload. The RX 590 belongs in legacy or low-resolution systems where its 8 GB frame buffer and GCN architecture are sufficient. The data does not support any scenario where the RX 590 outperforms the RTX 3090. The RTX 3090 wins 1 of 1 head-to-head benchmark comparisons; the RX 590 wins none.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 3090 uses the GA102 chip on NVIDIA's Ampere architecture, built on Samsung's 8 nm process. It packs 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1 million per mm². The RX 590 uses the Polaris 30 chip on AMD's GCN 4.0 architecture, built on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. It contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, for a density of 24.6 million per mm². The RTX 3090 has nearly five times the transistor count and almost three times the die area.

The compute resource gap is enormous. The RTX 3090 has 10,496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. It also includes 82 ray tracing cores and 328 tensor cores, features the RX 590 lacks entirely. The RX 590 has 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 3090's FP32 throughput is 35.58 TFLOPS with FP16 at the same 35.58 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). The RX 590 manages 7.119 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16. The RTX 3090's pixel rate is 189.8 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 556.0 GTexel/s, versus 49.44 GPixel/s and 222.5 GTexel/s for the RX 590.

Memory architecture amplifies the gap. The RTX 3090 ships with 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 936.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s. The RTX 3090's memory clock runs at 1219 MHz with 19.5 Gbps effective data rate; the RX 590 runs at 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective. The RTX 3090 supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 590 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The API support differs: the RTX 3090 reaches DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 590 tops out at DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 590 supports Metal (as shown by its Geekbench Metal score), while the RTX 3090 has no Metal result in the database.

Physical characteristics also diverge. The RTX 3090 is a triple-slot card measuring 336 mm (13.2 inches) long, 140 mm (5.5 inches) tall, and 61 mm (2.4 inches) wide, with a 350 W TDP and a single 12-pin power connector. The RX 590 is a dual-slot card at 241 mm (9.5 inches) long with a 175 W TDP and a single 8-pin connector. The RTX 3090 requires a 750 W suggested PSU; the RX 590 needs only 450 W. The RTX 3090 launched with a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD, while the RX 590 launched with a launch MSRP of 279 USD. Both cards are end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The RTX 3090 scores 5,118, while the RX 590 scores 1,081. That is a delta of 373.5% in favor of the RTX 3090. In practical terms, the RTX 3090 delivers more than four times the DX12 performance of the RX 590 in this workload. This is not a close race, and the result defines the entire comparison.

The broader benchmark suite confirms the trend. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3090 records 172,758 points. The RX 590 has no OpenCL result in the database, but it does have a Geekbench Metal score of 48,407, which cannot be directly compared to the RTX 3090's OpenCL result. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 3090 scores 53,927. The RX 590 has no Vulkan score recorded. Passmark results for the RTX 3090 span DirectX 9 (268), DirectX 10 (182), DirectX 11 (220), DirectX 12 (110), G2D (1,063), G3D (26,645), and GPU compute (15,356). The RX 590 has no Passmark results in the database.

The average benchmark scores place the two cards in different competitive tiers. The RTX 3090's 27,565 average puts it within 0.5% of the RTX 4070 Mobile and RX 6700 XT, and within 1.1% of the RX 7800M. The RX 590's 24,744 average puts it within 0.1% of the RTX A5000 Mobile and within 1.9% of the GTX 1630. These rival clusters show that the RX 590 competes with entry-level and mobile parts from several generations later, while the RTX 3090 trades blows with modern midrange and mobile flagships.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3090 than the RX 590 in DX12?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 3090 scores 5,118 versus 1,081 for the RX 590, a 373.5% advantage.

Q: Does the RX 590 have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The RX 590 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 3090 has 82 ray tracing cores and 328 tensor cores.

Q: Which card has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus with 936.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 590 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 3090 has a 350 W TDP and requires a 750 W suggested PSU, using a single 12-pin connector. The RX 590 has a 175 W TDP, requires a 450 W suggested PSU, and uses a single 8-pin connector.

Q: Which API levels do the two cards support?

A: The RTX 3090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare to rival GPUs?

A: The RTX 3090 averages 27,565, placing it within 0.5% of the RTX 4070 Mobile and RX 6700 XT. The RX 590 averages 24,744, placing it within 0.1% of the RTX A5000 Mobile and 0.4% behind the Intel Arc A350M.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3090 wins in every workload category represented in the database. Its 35.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 82 ray tracing cores, and 328 tensor cores make it a clear choice for compute-heavy tasks, modern DX12 titles, and any workflow that leverages ray tracing or AI acceleration. The 24 GB GDDR6X frame buffer at 936.2 GB/s supports large datasets, high-resolution textures, and multi-display setups. The triple-slot cooler and 350 W TDP indicate a card designed for sustained high-load operation. The 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with its rival cluster of RTX 4070 Mobile, RX 6700 XT, and RX 7800M, shows it still trades at the top end of the desktop market despite being an end-of-life product.

The RX 590 wins in efficiency and physical footprint, but not in performance. Its 175 W TDP, dual-slot design, and 241 mm (9.5 inches) length make it far easier to integrate into compact systems with a 450 W PSU. Its 8 GB GDDR5 frame buffer at 256.0 GB/s is adequate for older DirectX 11 and early DirectX 12 titles. The Metal score of 48,407 suggests it can still handle macOS compute workloads, a capability the RTX 3090 does not have in the database. The RX 590's rival cluster, including the RTX A5000 Mobile and GTX 1630, indicates it sits at the low end of modern performance expectations.

For a user choosing between these two cards today, the decision is straightforward. The RTX 3090 is the only option for anyone who needs top-tier DX12 performance, ray tracing, high-bandwidth memory, or large frame buffer capacity. The RX 590 is a legacy part that only makes sense for systems with strict power, size, or platform constraints, or for workloads that specifically require Metal support. The recorded data shows no scenario where the RX 590 outperforms the RTX 3090 in a shared benchmark. The 373.5% DX12 delta is the defining statistic of this comparison, and it leaves no ambiguity about which card is faster.