AMD Radeon RX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear generational split. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is the decisive winner in raw performance, but it exists in a completely different product category. The AMD Radeon RX 590 is a desktop card from 2018, while the RTX 5060 Mobile is a laptop GPU from 2025. The RTX 5060 Mobile wins the only shared benchmark test by a massive 64.1% margin, scoring 3013.5 versus 1081 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. That single result is enough to establish the NVIDIA part as the faster GPU in this comparison.

The RTX 5060 Mobile also carries architectural advantages that matter for modern workloads. It has dedicated ray tracing cores and tensor cores, features entirely absent from the RX 590. Its memory bandwidth is 50% higher at 384.0 GB/s versus 256.0 GB/s, and it supports newer API standards including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. For anyone choosing between these two based on the database records, the RTX 5060 Mobile is the superior piece of hardware in every measurable performance category.

The RX 590 remains relevant only as a legacy desktop part. Its average benchmark score of 24744 actually exceeds the RTX 5060 Mobile's 22435, but that figure is misleading. The RX 590's average pulls from older test suites like Geekbench Metal, where it scores 48407, while the RTX 5060 Mobile's average includes a much wider range of tests, including Passmark DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute workloads. The NVIDIA part's percentile ranking of 67 versus the AMD part's 70 reflects this broader test coverage, not a performance advantage in modern 3D workloads.

The verdict is straightforward: the RTX 5060 Mobile is the pick for any user prioritizing current-generation performance, ray tracing capability, or energy efficiency. The RX 590 is only relevant for legacy desktop builds where its older API support and higher power draw are acceptable.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent completely different eras of design. The AMD Radeon RX 590 uses the Polaris 30 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile uses the GB206 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its transistor count is 21,900 million, nearly four times higher, packed into a smaller 181 mm² die. This explains the density difference: 121.0M transistors per mm² for NVIDIA versus 24.6M per mm² for AMD.

Core configuration differs substantially. The RX 590 has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 5060 Mobile has 3328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. AMD has more TMUs, but NVIDIA wins in shading units and ROPs. The RTX 5060 Mobile also adds 26 ray tracing cores and 104 tensor cores, both of which are absent from the RX 590's GCN design. This makes the NVIDIA part capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features, while the AMD card cannot do either.

Memory technology also separates the two. The RX 590 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus, yet achieves 384.0 GB/s. The newer memory standard more than compensates for the narrower bus. Clock behavior shows the generational gap too: the RX 590 runs at a 1469 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost, while the RTX 5060 Mobile operates at a much lower 952 MHz base and 1455 MHz boost. Despite lower clocks, the NVIDIA part produces higher throughput because of its newer architecture and higher IPC.

Power characteristics could not be more different. The RX 590 has a 175 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, needs a 450 W power supply, and uses a single 8-pin power connector. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a 45 W TDP, uses an integrated form factor, and requires no power connectors at all. This is a 130 W difference in thermal design power, which has enormous implications for system design and cooling requirements.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 3013.5, which is 64.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 590's 1081. The NVIDIA part wins this benchmark outright.

Q: Does the RX 590 support ray tracing?

A: No. The RX 590 has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications. The RTX 5060 Mobile includes 26 ray tracing cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between these two GPUs?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile delivers 384.0 GB/s using 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus. The RX 590 delivers 256.0 GB/s using 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. NVIDIA's bandwidth is 50% higher despite using a narrower bus.

Q: Which GPU has a higher power consumption?

A: The RX 590 has a 175 W TDP and requires a dual-slot cooler plus a 450 W power supply. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a 45 W TDP and requires no external power connectors.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 590 has an average benchmark score of 24744, while the RTX 5060 Mobile averages 22435. However, the RX 590's average is based on only two benchmark tests, while the RTX 5060 Mobile has ten recorded tests covering DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute workloads.

Q: What API levels does each GPU support?

A: The RX 590 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RTX 5060 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which includes the newer DirectX feature level and Vulkan revision.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The RTX 5060 Mobile uses a 5 nm TSMC process with 21,900 million transistors on a 181 mm² die, while the RX 590 uses a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. Transistor density is 121.0M per mm² versus 24.6M per mm².

Clock speeds differ significantly. The RX 590 has a 1469 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost. The RTX 5060 Mobile has a 952 MHz base and 1455 MHz boost. Memory clocks also differ: 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective for AMD versus 1500 MHz with 24 Gbps effective for NVIDIA.

The compute configuration shows a split. The RTX 5060 Mobile has 3328 shading units versus 2304, and 48 ROPs versus 32. The RX 590 has 144 TMUs versus 104. The NVIDIA part adds 26 RT cores and 104 tensor cores; the AMD part has none.

Memory bandwidth favors NVIDIA at 384.0 GB/s versus 256.0 GB/s, achieved through GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus versus GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. Both have 8 GB capacity.

Pixel rate is 69.84 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 49.44 GPixel/s for AMD. Texture rate favors AMD at 222.5 GTexel/s versus 151.3 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 9.684 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 7.119 TFLOPS for AMD.

Power delivery differs completely: 175 W TDP with a dual-slot cooler and 1x 8-pin connector for AMD, versus 45 W TDP with an integrated form factor and no connectors for NVIDIA. The AMD card needs a 450 W power supply; NVIDIA lists none.

Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for AMD versus PCIe 5.0 x16 for NVIDIA. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for AMD, versus portable device dependent for NVIDIA. Production status is end-of-life for AMD, active for NVIDIA. The RX 590 had a launch MSRP of 279 USD; the RTX 5060 Mobile has no recorded launch MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one shared benchmark between these two GPUs: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The RTX 5060 Mobile scores 3013.5, while the RX 590 scores 1081. This is a 64.1% performance gap in favor of the NVIDIA part. The margin is enormous and reflects the architectural gulf between a 2018 GCN desktop card and a 2025 Blackwell mobile chip.

Beyond the shared test, the benchmark records show where each GPU stands in its own ecosystem. The RX 590 posts a Geekbench Metal score of 48407, which contributes to its 24744 average across just two tests. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile at 24763 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Arc A350M at 24647 (0.4% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT at 24442 (1.2% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 at 24277 (1.9% behind). This places the RX 590 in a tight cluster of mid-range GPUs from multiple generations, but its 70th percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects its limited test coverage.

The RTX 5060 Mobile has a much broader benchmark footprint. Its ten tests include Geekbench OpenCL at 96969 and Geekbench Vulkan at 96451, both strong scores for a mobile GPU. Passmark results show 18852 in G3D, 7607 in GPU compute, and a range of DirectX tests from 87 in DirectX 12 to 203 in DirectX 9. Its 2D score is 876. The average across all tests is 22435, with a 67th percentile ranking. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT at 22549 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile at 22729 (1.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 at 22170 (1.2% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700S at 22154 (1.3% behind).

The RX 590's higher average benchmark score of 24744 compared to the RTX 5060 Mobile's 22435 does not translate to a win in the only shared test. The AMD part benefits from being measured against only two benchmarks, both of which are favorable to its architecture. The NVIDIA part is measured across a wider variety of workloads, including legacy DirectX tests where modern architectures often score lower. The Steel Nomad result is the only apples-to-apples comparison available, and it shows the RTX 5060 Mobile winning by a commanding 64.1% margin.

In terms of production status, the RX 590 is end-of-life while the RTX 5060 Mobile is active. The RX 590's successor is listed as Vega, while the RTX 5060 Mobile's predecessor is the GeForce 40 Mobile series. The NVIDIA part represents the current generation of mobile graphics, whereas the AMD part belongs to a discontinued desktop lineup. For any modern workload, the data points unambiguously to the RTX 5060 Mobile as the stronger performer.