NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN has an average benchmark score of 14,373, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 has an average benchmark score of 12,830. The TITAN sits in the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 590 sits in the 52nd percentile.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the GTX TITAN scores 24,873, versus 12,830 for the GTX 590. This gives the TITAN a 93.9% advantage in that specific test.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and what is the difference?

A: The GTX TITAN has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, while the GTX 590 has 1536 MB (1.5 GB) of GDDR5 memory also on a 384-bit bus. The TITAN's memory bandwidth is 288.4 GB/s, compared to 164.0 GB/s for the GTX 590.

Q: What are the release dates for these two cards?

A: The GTX 590 was released on 2011-03-23, while the GTX TITAN was released on 2013-02-18. Both are now listed as end-of-life products.

Q: What is the transistor count and die size difference?

A: The GTX TITAN uses the GK110 chip with 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die (12.6M transistors per mm²). The GTX 590 uses the GF110 chip with 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die (5.8M transistors per mm²).

Q: Which card has a higher TDP and what power connectors does it require?

A: The GTX 590 has a TDP of 365 W and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors, while the GTX TITAN has a TDP of 250 W and requires 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors. The suggested PSU is 750 W for the GTX 590 and 600 W for the GTX TITAN.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX TITAN is the clear winner in every recorded benchmark category. The head-to-head data shows the TITAN winning the sole Geekbench OpenCL comparison by a decisive margin. The TITAN also holds additional benchmark entries in Geekbench Metal (score of 8,218) and Geekbench Vulkan (score of 10,027), tests that the GTX 590 does not appear in at all.

The GTX 590, despite being the older architecture, does not post a single winning benchmark in the database. Its only recorded benchmark is the Geekbench OpenCL score of 12,830, which falls well short of the TITAN's 24,873 in the same test.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward: the GTX TITAN is the only choice for any workload that leverages OpenCL, Metal, or Vulkan compute. The GTX 590 has no recorded wins in any test, making it unsuitable for scenarios where the database shows measurable performance.

For users prioritizing raw compute throughput, the TITAN's 4.709 TFLOPS FP32 performance dwarfs the GTX 590's 1,244.2 GFLOPS. The TITAN also offers higher pixel rate (49.06 GPixel/s vs 19.46 GPixel/s) and texture rate (196.2 GTexel/s vs 38.91 GTexel/s).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The GTX TITAN is built on the Kepler architecture using the GK110 chip, while the GTX 590 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF110 chip. This generational gap is significant.

The manufacturing process differs as well: the TITAN uses a 28 nm process node, while the GTX 590 uses a larger 40 nm node. Both are fabricated by TSMC, but the smaller node allows the TITAN to pack far more transistors: 7,080 million versus 3,000 million. The die sizes are relatively close at 561 mm² for the TITAN and 520 mm² for the GTX 590, but the transistor density tells the story: 12.6M per mm² on the TITAN versus 5.8M per mm² on the GTX 590.

The shading unit counts diverge sharply. The TITAN has 2,688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GTX 590 has only 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. This means the TITAN has more than five times the shading units and more than three times the texture units.

Neither card features ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both predate those technologies. The API support also differs: the TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 590 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but has no Vulkan support listed.

Specification Differences

The clock speeds differ substantially. The GTX TITAN has a base clock of 836 MHz and a boost clock of 876 MHz. The GTX 590 has no base or boost clock listed in the database. Memory clock also differs: the TITAN runs at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 590 runs at 854 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity is a major differentiator: 6 GB on the TITAN versus 1536 MB on the GTX 590. Both use GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, but the TITAN achieves 288.4 GB/s bandwidth versus 164.0 GB/s for the GTX 590.

The TDP figures show the GTX 590 drawing more power: 365 W versus 250 W for the TITAN. The power connector requirements reflect this: the GTX 590 needs 2x 8-pin connectors, while the TITAN needs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. The suggested PSU is also higher for the GTX 590 at 750 W versus 600 W.

Physical dimensions are similar but not identical. The TITAN measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height, and 38 mm (1.5 inches) in width. The GTX 590 is slightly longer at 279 mm (11 inches), same height at 111 mm, and slightly thicker at 40 mm (1.6 inches). Both are dual-slot cards.

The bus interface differs: the TITAN uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 590 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the TITAN offers 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 590 offers 3x DVI and 1x mini-DisplayPort.

The launch MSRP for the GTX TITAN was 999 USD, while the GTX 590 launched at 699 USD. The GTX TITAN belongs to the GeForce 700 generation with predecessor GeForce 600 and successor GeForce 900. The GTX 590 belongs to the GeForce 500 generation with predecessor GeForce 400 and successor GeForce 600.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the GTX TITAN scores 24,873, while the GTX 590 scores 12,830. The delta percentage is 93.9% in favor of the TITAN, meaning the TITAN nearly doubles the GTX 590's performance in this workload.

This OpenCL result aligns with the raw compute specifications. The TITAN delivers 4.709 TFLOPS FP32, while the GTX 590 delivers 1,244.2 GFLOPS, which is roughly a 3.8x difference in theoretical compute. The actual benchmark delta of 93.9% is lower than the theoretical gap, likely due to memory bandwidth constraints and other bottlenecks, but the direction is consistent.

The TITAN's pixel rate of 49.06 GPixel/s versus the GTX 590's 19.46 GPixel/s shows a 2.5x advantage. Texture rate shows an even larger gap: 196.2 GTexel/s versus 38.91 GTexel/s, a 5x difference. These fillrate metrics directly impact rendering performance in texture-heavy and pixel-heavy workloads.

Memory bandwidth also favors the TITAN substantially: 288.4 GB/s versus 164.0 GB/s, a 75.8% advantage. This matters for high-resolution textures and compute workloads that access large datasets.

The GTX 590 does not appear in the Geekbench Metal or Geekbench Vulkan tests, so no comparison is possible there. The TITAN's Metal score of 8,218 and Vulkan score of 10,027 stand as absolute figures without a rival reference from the GTX 590.

The Verdict

The data points to a decisive win for the GTX TITAN across every measurable dimension. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 93.9%, holds a massive advantage in memory capacity (6 GB versus 1536 MB), doubles the bandwidth, and offers more than double the pixel rate and five times the texture rate.

The GTX 590's strengths are limited to its lower launch MSRP of 699 USD versus 999 USD for the TITAN, and its smaller physical footprint is not an advantage since the TITAN is shorter at 267 mm versus 279 mm. The GTX 590 also has a higher TDP of 365 W, which is a drawback rather than a benefit.

For users considering these two end-of-life GPUs, the GTX TITAN is the clear choice for any modern workload. Its Vulkan support (1.2.175) makes it usable with current graphics APIs, while the GTX 590 has no Vulkan support listed. The TITAN's 6 GB memory capacity is far more practical for modern game textures and compute tasks than the GTX 590's 1536 MB.

The GTX 590 might be considered only for legacy system builds where the 699 USD launch price point matters historically, but the database shows no performance scenario where it wins. The TITAN's 56th percentile ranking versus the GTX 590's 52nd percentile reflects this overall superiority.

Buyers should note that both cards are end-of-life products, so availability and driver support are limited. Within the recorded data, however, the GTX TITAN is the superior card by a wide margin, and the GTX 590's only distinction is its earlier release date of 2011-03-23 compared to the TITAN's 2013-02-18.