AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct comparison between the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this run, the GTX 590 scores 12,830 points, while the RX Vega 11 scores 12,525 points. The delta is 2.4% in favor of the NVIDIA card, a narrow margin that places both parts in essentially the same performance tier.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 590 sits at the 52nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12,830. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831, delta 0%), the AMD FirePro W5100 (12,847, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon 740M (12,870, delta -0.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (12,773, delta 0.4%). The GTX 590 lands within a 0.4% band of these four cards, meaning its compute performance is statistically indistinguishable from them in the database's aggregate scoring.

The RX Vega 11, by contrast, reaches the 56th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14,385 across three recorded tests: Geekbench Metal (17,086), Geekbench OpenCL (12,525), and Geekbench Vulkan (13,543). Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373, delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (14,352, delta 0.2%), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315, delta 0.5%). The RX Vega 11's aggregate score is 1,555 points higher than the GTX 590's single OpenCL result, a 12.1% advantage. However, this comparison is imperfect, as the RX Vega 11's average includes Metal and Vulkan results, which the GTX 590 does not have recorded.

In the head-to-head OpenCL test specifically, the GTX 590 wins by 305 points. That is a small margin, roughly equivalent to the difference between the GTX 590 and its nearest rival, the GTX 670. The data shows both GPUs are firmly in the mid-range of the database's performance distribution, with the RX Vega 11 holding a slightly higher overall percentile due to its stronger performance in Metal and Vulkan workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 590 wins the only directly comparable benchmark, the OpenCL compute test, by 2.4%. This result suggests that for raw, cross-platform compute tasks using the OpenCL API, the older Fermi-based card retains a slight edge over the Vega IGP. The GTX 590's pixel rate of 19.46 GPixel/s and texture rate of 38.91 GTexel/s also indicate a stronger rasterization throughput per clock, though the RX Vega 11 counters with a higher texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s and a higher FP32 throughput of 1.971 TFLOPS versus the GTX 590's 1,244.2 GFLOPS.

The RX Vega 11 wins in the broader benchmark suite because it has recorded results in three different APIs. Its Metal score of 17,086 is the highest single result for either card, and its Vulkan score of 13,543 also exceeds the GTX 590's OpenCL result. These additional data points lift its average benchmark score to 14,385, which is 12.1% above the GTX 590's average of 12,830. For users running modern APIs such as Vulkan or Apple's Metal, the RX Vega 11 is the clear choice based on recorded performance.

For legacy OpenCL compute workloads, the GTX 590 holds a narrow but real advantage. The data does not show any other direct comparison, so conclusions about gaming, video encoding, or ray tracing must rely on architectural differences rather than measured scores. The GTX 590's memory bandwidth of 164.0 GB/s over a 384-bit bus dwarfs the RX Vega 11's system-shared memory, which has bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." In bandwidth-sensitive tasks, the GTX 590's dedicated 1,536 MB of GDDR5 should provide a significant practical advantage, though no benchmark in the database directly tests this.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, built on the Picasso chip at a 12 nm process node from GlobalFoundries. It integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on the GF110 chip at a 40 nm process node from TSMC. It packs 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, with a density of 5.8 million per square millimeter. The process node difference explains why AMD achieves more than four times the transistor density on a smaller die.

Core configurations differ substantially. The RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The GTX 590 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite fewer shading units, the GTX 590's higher ROP count (48 versus 8) and higher pixel rate (19.46 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s) indicate a fundamentally different rendering pipeline, optimized for memory bandwidth and fill-rate rather than compute throughput. The RX Vega 11's FP32 throughput of 1.971 TFLOPS exceeds the GTX 590's 1,244.2 GFLOPS, and the RX Vega 11 also supports FP16 at 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1 rate), a feature the GTX 590 lacks entirely.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory, with the size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." The GTX 590 has a fixed 1,536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 164.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 590's memory clock is listed at 854 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective). The RX Vega 11's memory clock is "System Shared," meaning it depends on the host system's RAM speed.

Power and physical design diverge completely. The RX Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and no dedicated slot width. The GTX 590 is a dual-slot card measuring 279 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, with a 365 W TDP, two 8-pin power connectors, and a suggested power supply of 750 W. The GTX 590 also has a fixed set of display outputs (3x DVI and 1x mini-DisplayPort), while the RX Vega 11's outputs are motherboard dependent.

API support differs in key areas. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the RX Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 590 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed. The RX Vega 11 also has a more recent release date (2019-07-06) compared to the GTX 590 (2011-03-23). The GTX 590's launch MSRP is 699 USD, which the database records but this analysis does not expand upon.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14,385, which is 12.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590's average of 12,830.

Q: In the only direct head-to-head test, which card wins and by how much?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 12,830 versus the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11's 12,525, a margin of 2.4%.

Q: What is the memory capacity and bus width of each card?

A: The GTX 590 has 1,536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, while the RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with no fixed capacity or bus width.

Q: Does the GTX 590 support Vulkan?

A: No, the database lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 590. The RX Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What are the TDPs of the two cards?

A: The RX Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W, while the GTX 590 has a TDP of 365 W.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel rate?

A: The GTX 590 has a pixel rate of 19.46 GPixel/s, which is higher than the RX Vega 11's 11.20 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 4,940 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 520 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 23.5M / mm² | 5.8M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 704 | 512 |

| TMUs | 44 | 64 |

| ROPs | 8 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 11.20 GPixel/s | 19.46 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 61.60 GTexel/s | 38.91 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.971 TFLOPS | 1,244.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1) | None |

| TDP | 15 W | 365 W |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 1536 MB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 164.0 GB/s |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | None |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 750 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 3x DVI, 1x mini-DisplayPort |

| Dimensions | None | 279 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm |

| Release Date | 2019-07-06 | 2011-03-23 |

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is the better overall GPU for modern workloads. Its average benchmark score of 14,385 places it at the 56th percentile, 12.1% above the GTX 590's 12,830. It supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), has a higher FP32 throughput, and consumes 15 W versus 365 W. Its nearest rivals are the GTX TITAN and GTX 965M, both within 0.1% of its score, confirming it sits in a competitive mid-range band.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 is the better choice only for legacy OpenCL compute tasks. It wins the sole head-to-head benchmark by 2.4%, and its 164.0 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth over a 384-bit bus provides a structural advantage for bandwidth-bound workloads. However, its lack of Vulkan support, lower percentile (52nd), and 365 W power draw make it a niche part for specific use cases.

For a user prioritizing modern API compatibility, compute throughput, and power efficiency, the RX Vega 11 is the data-backed pick. For a user locked into OpenCL-only workloads that stress memory bandwidth, the GTX 590's narrow win in the direct comparison is the only recorded evidence in its favor. The database shows one clear winner in aggregate scoring and one narrow winner in a single API test; the choice depends entirely on the target application.