AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable measurement in the database is the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, and the result is not close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 scores 2502, while the AMD Radeon RX 590 scores 1081. That is a 56.8% deficit for the RX 590, meaning the RTX 5050 delivers more than double the performance in this modern DirectX 12 workload. In practical terms, the RX 590 is left in a different performance class entirely.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores reinforces the gap. The RX 590 posts an average benchmark score of 24744, while the RTX 5050 averages 21035. Interestingly, the RX 590 actually has a higher average score, but that is skewed by the Geekbench Metal result (48407 for the RX 590 versus no Metal score for the RTX 5050). The RTX 5050 counters with strong OpenCL (90334) and Vulkan (89381) Geekbench scores, plus a Passmark G3D score of 17326 and a GPU compute score of 9184. The RX 590 has no comparable Passmark entries in the database, so cross-API comparisons favor the RTX 5050 in compute-heavy workloads.

When placed against their nearest rivals, both cards sit in similar percentile territory. The RX 590 is at the 70th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5050 is at the 66th percentile. The RX 590's closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, which scores 24763, a mere 0.1% ahead. The RTX 5050's closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21153, which sits 0.6% higher. This suggests that despite the huge gap in the Steel Nomad test, the RX 590's overall benchmark profile is not dramatically worse across every workload, mainly due to its Metal performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is stark. The RX 590 uses the Polaris 30 chip built on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process, with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The RTX 5050 uses the GB207 chip on TSMC's 5 nm node, packing 16,900 million transistors into just 149 mm². That is a transistor density of 113.4M per mm² for the RTX 5050 versus 24.6M per mm² for the RX 590, a clear indication of how far manufacturing has advanced.

The compute layout differs significantly. The RX 590 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 5050 has 2560 shading units but only 80 TMUs and 32 ROPs. The RTX 5050 also adds dedicated hardware: 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores, neither of which exist on the RX 590. This means the RTX 5050 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 590 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0). Vulkan support also differs, with the RTX 5050 at version 1.4 versus 1.3 for the RX 590.

Clock speeds are a major differentiator. The RX 590 boosts to 1545 MHz, while the RTX 5050 boosts to 2572 MHz, a massive frequency advantage. The memory subsystem also changes: the RX 590 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5050 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth. The narrower bus is offset by faster memory, giving the RTX 5050 25% more bandwidth.

The RTX 5050 also has a much higher FP32 throughput at 13.17 TFLOPS versus 7.119 TFLOPS for the RX 590. Pixel rate favors the RTX 5050 at 82.30 GPixel/s versus 49.44 GPixel/s, but texture rate is slightly higher on the RX 590 at 222.5 GTexel/s versus 205.8 GTexel/s. Power efficiency is clearly on the RTX 5050's side: it draws 130 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU, while the RX 590 draws 175 W with a 450 W suggested PSU.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 590's only recorded benchmark win is in Geekbench Metal, where it scores 48407. The RTX 5050 has no Metal score in the database, so this is not a head-to-head comparison. However, in any DirectX 12 workload, the RTX 5050 dominates. The Steel Nomad result is the only direct comparison, and the RTX 5050 wins by 56.8%.

For compute workloads, the RTX 5050's OpenCL score of 90334 and Vulkan score of 89381 are strong indicators of general-purpose performance. The RX 590 has no OpenCL or Vulkan scores recorded, so it cannot compete in those metrics. The RTX 5050 also has Passmark scores across DirectX 9 through 12, with the DirectX 11 score of 150 being the highest among those, plus a strong G3D score of 17326 and compute score of 9184.

In terms of feature support, the RTX 5050 wins on ray tracing and tensor cores, which the RX 590 lacks entirely. Any workload that uses those features will only run on the RTX 5050. The RTX 5050 also supports newer display outputs: HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1b versus HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a on the RX 590.

The RX 590's advantage is limited to its higher average benchmark score, driven by the Metal result, and its larger memory bus (256-bit versus 128-bit). For legacy DirectX 9 or OpenGL applications, the RX 590's GCN architecture may behave differently, but the database does not provide direct evidence of that.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in DirectX 12?

A: The RTX 5050 wins decisively. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5050 scores 2502 versus 1081 for the RX 590, a 56.8% lead.

Q: Does the RX 590 have any ray tracing capability?

A: No. The RX 590 has no ray tracing cores, while the RTX 5050 has 20 of them.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5050, at 320.0 GB/s, compared to 256.0 GB/s for the RX 590, despite having a narrower 128-bit bus versus 256-bit.

Q: Are both cards dual-slot designs?

A: Yes, both are listed as Dual-slot and both use a single 8-pin power connector.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RX 590 is on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm node, while the RTX 5050 is on TSMC's 5 nm node, with transistor density of 113.4M per mm² versus 24.6M per mm².

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RX 590 has a higher average (24744 versus 21035), but this is heavily influenced by its Geekbench Metal score of 48407, which the RTX 5050 does not have.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 590 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Polaris 30 | GB207 |

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Process node | 12 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 16,900 million |

| Die size | 232 mm² | 149 mm² |

| Transistor density | 24.6M / mm² | 113.4M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1469 MHz | 2317 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1545 MHz | 2572 MHz |

| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory bus width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 320.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 2304 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 144 | 80 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| RT cores | None | 20 |

| Tensor cores | None | 80 |

| Pixel rate | 49.44 GPixel/s | 82.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 222.5 GTexel/s | 205.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 7.119 TFLOPS | 13.17 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 7.119 TFLOPS (1:1) | 13.17 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 175 W | 130 W |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 300 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x8 |

| Display outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| DirectX support | 12 (12_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan support | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Production status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release date | 2018-11-14 | 2025-06-30 |

| Predecessor | Arctic Islands | GeForce 40 |

| Successor | Vega | GeForce 60 |

| Launch MSRP | 279 USD | 249 USD |

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for modern workloads: the RTX 5050. It wins the only direct benchmark, offers more than double the raw FP32 throughput, has dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores, and does so at lower power consumption (130 W versus 175 W). It also supports newer APIs and display standards. The launch MSRP of the RTX 5050 is 249 USD, lower than the RX 590's 279 USD launch MSRP.

The RX 590's only recorded advantage is its higher average benchmark score, driven entirely by the Geekbench Metal result. If you run Metal-based workloads on a compatible system, the RX 590 shows a strong score of 48407. It also has a wider 256-bit memory bus, which may help in specific bandwidth-sensitive scenarios, though the RTX 5050 still delivers higher total bandwidth.

For a new build, the RTX 5050 is the obvious pick. It is faster, more efficient, and future-proofed with features the RX 590 cannot match. The RX 590 remains relevant only for legacy Metal workloads or if you need a card with a wider memory bus and do not require ray tracing or modern API support. Given the RTX 5050 is also actively in production while the RX 590 is end-of-life, the RTX 5050 is the only sensible recommendation for most users.