NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 vs NVIDIA Quadro M2000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison between these two cards, the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 records a score of 14,588 against the GeForce GTX 590’s 12,830. That translates to a 13.7% advantage for the Quadro M2000, a decisive win in raw compute throughput as measured by this benchmark. The GeForce GTX 590 does not win any recorded head-to-head test. This is not a marginal victory; a 13.7% delta is significant in GPU terms, meaning the Quadro M2000 completes the same OpenCL workload with noticeably more speed. The GeForce GTX 590’s average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 12,830, which is identical to its single OpenCL result, so there is no other data point to soften this outcome.

When placed against the broader field, the Quadro M2000 sits at the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the GeForce GTX 590 sits at the 52nd percentile. The Quadro M2000’s average benchmark score of 14,532 places it just above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373, a 1.1% difference) and just below the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14,692, a 1.1% difference in that rival’s favor). The GeForce GTX 590’s average score of 12,830 places it within a fraction of the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831, a 0% delta), effectively identical in performance. This means the Quadro M2000 not only beats its older rival here but also lands in a higher performance tier relative to the rest of the database. The GTX 590, meanwhile, is clustered with mid-range mobile and workstation parts from years after its release.

The single benchmark result is consistent with the rest of the recorded data. The Quadro M2000 shows a 0.9% edge over the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404), reinforcing that it performs above many mid-range mobile GPUs. The GeForce GTX 590’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 455, matches it almost exactly, which shows that the Fermi-based card’s performance has aged into a lower bracket. The head-to-head delta of 13.7% is therefore not an outlier; it aligns with the positioning of both cards in the percentile rankings. In every measurable way, the Quadro M2000 is the faster card in this comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from entirely different architectural eras. The Quadro M2000 uses the GM206 chip, built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the GeForce GTX 590 uses the GF110 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The manufacturing process tells the story clearly: the Quadro M2000 is produced on a 28 nm node at TSMC, while the GeForce GTX 590 uses a 40 nm node, also at TSMC. The newer process allows the Quadro M2000 to pack 2,940 million transistors into a 228 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.9 million per square millimeter. The GeForce GTX 590 has 3,000 million transistors spread across a much larger 520 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of just 5.8 million per square millimeter. The Quadro M2000 more than doubles the transistor density of its rival, which explains how a single-slot, 75 W card can outperform a dual-slot, 365 W monster from 2011.

The execution resources differ in interesting ways. The Quadro M2000 has 768 shading units, while the GeForce GTX 590 has 512. However, the GeForce GTX 590 has 64 texture mapping units against the Quadro M2000’s 48, and 48 render output units against the Quadro M2000’s 32. The Quadro M2000 compensates with much higher clocks: it runs at a base of 796 MHz and boosts to 1,163 MHz, whereas the GeForce GTX 590 has no recorded base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 854 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective). The Quadro M2000’s memory runs at 1,653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective). The higher shading unit count and clock speeds give the Quadro M2000 a peak FP32 rate of 1.786 TFLOPS, versus 1,244.2 GFLOPS for the GeForce GTX 590. Pixel rate also favors the Quadro M2000: 37.22 GPixel/s versus 19.46 GPixel/s. Texture rate favors the Quadro M2000 as well: 55.82 GTexel/s versus 38.91 GTexel/s.

Memory configuration is a mixed bag. The Quadro M2000 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 105.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The GeForce GTX 590 has only 1,536 MB of GDDR5 on a much wider 384-bit bus, yielding 164.0 GB/s. The older card has more bandwidth due to its wider bus, but it has less than half the capacity. This matters for modern workloads that need large working sets. The Quadro M2000’s 4 GB capacity is a clear advantage for compute tasks that require holding more data in VRAM.

API support shows further divergence. The Quadro M2000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GeForce GTX 590 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and has no recorded Vulkan support. The Quadro M2000 also runs on PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GeForce GTX 590 uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. The Quadro M2000 is single-slot with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GeForce GTX 590 is dual-slot, requires two 8-pin connectors, and needs a 750 W suggested PSU. The Quadro M2000 outputs are four DisplayPort 1.2 connections; the GeForce GTX 590 offers three DVI ports and one mini-DisplayPort. The GeForce GTX 590 measures 279 mm in length (11 inches) and 40 mm in width (1.6 inches), while the Quadro M2000 is 201 mm long (7.9 inches) and 111 mm tall (4.4 inches). Both share the same height of 111 mm (4.4 inches).

The GeForce GTX 590 was released on 23 March 2011, with the Quadro M2000 coming later on 7 April 2016. The GTX 590 succeeded the GeForce 400 series and was followed by the GeForce 600 series. The Quadro M2000 succeeded the Quadro Kepler series and was followed by the Quadro Pascal series. Both cards are now marked end-of-life. The GeForce GTX 590 has a recorded launch MSRP of 699 USD.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear outcome: the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 is the superior choice in compute performance, efficiency, power draw, and modern feature support. The 13.7% OpenCL win is the largest recorded performance delta between the two cards, and the Quadro M2000’s percentile ranking of 56th percentile places it above the GeForce GTX 590's 52nd percentile. The Quadro M2000 delivers 45% higher FP32 throughput (1.786 TFLOPS versus 1,244.2 GFLOPS), more than double the pixel rate (37.22 GPixel/s versus 19.46 GPixel/s), and 43% higher texture rate (55.82 GTexel/s versus 38.91 GTexel/s). It does all of this with a TDP of 75 W versus 365 W, making it dramatically more power-efficient. The Quadro M2000 also has more memory (4 GB versus 1,536 MB), a newer PCIe interface (3.0 versus 2.0), and support for Vulkan, which the GeForce GTX 590 lacks entirely.

The GeForce GTX 590’s only recorded advantages are its wider memory bus (384-bit versus 128-bit), higher memory bandwidth (164.0 GB/s versus 105.8 GB/s), and more TMUs and ROPs (64 versus 48 TMUs, 48 ROPs versus 32). However, none of these translate into a benchmark victory in the recorded data, and the bandwidth advantage does not help it in OpenCL performance. The GeForce GTX 590’s dual-slot design, dual 8-pin power connectors, and 750 W suggested PSU requirement make it a far more demanding component. For anyone selecting a GPU for compute workloads measured by OpenCL, the Quadro M2000 is the clear pick. For legacy compatibility with DX12 (11_0) and legacy DVI-only output, the GeForce GTX 590 might have a niche, but its end-of-life status and 52nd percentile ranking limit its appeal.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every major specification. The Quadro M2000 uses the GM206 chip on Maxwell 2.0, while the GeForce GTX 590 uses the GF110 chip on Fermi 2.0. Manufacturing node: 28 nm for the Quadro M2000, 40 nm for the GeForce GTX 590. Transistor count is close (2,940 million versus 3,000 million), but die size differs greatly (228 mm² versus 520 mm²). Transistor density: 12.9M per mm² versus 5.8M per mm². Base clock: 796 MHz for the Quadro M2000, none recorded for the GeForce GTX 590. Boost clock: 1,163 MHz for the Quadro M2000, none recorded for the GTX 590. Memory clock: 1,653 MHz (6.6 Gbps effective) versus 854 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective). Memory size: 4 GB versus 1,536 MB. Bus width: 128-bit versus 384-bit. Bandwidth: 105.8 GB/s versus 164.0 GB/s. Shading units: 768 versus 512. TMUs: 48 versus 64. ROPs: 32 versus 48. Pixel rate: 37.22 GPixel/s versus 19.46 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 55.82 GTexel/s versus 38.91 GTexel/s. FP32: 1.786 TFLOPS versus 1,244.2 GFLOPS. TDP: 75 W versus 365 W. Slot width: single-slot versus dual-slot. Power connectors: none versus two 8-pin. Suggested PSU: 250 W versus 750 W. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs: four DisplayPort 1.2 versus three DVI and one mini-DisplayPort. DirectX support: 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan support: 1.4 versus none. Dimensions: length 201 mm versus 279 mm, height 111 mm for both, width not recorded for the Quadro M2000 versus 40 mm for the GTX 590. Release date: 7 April 2016 versus 23 March 2011. Predecessor: Quadro Kepler versus GeForce 400. Successor: Quadro Pascal versus GeForce 600. Production status is end-of-life for both.

FAQ

Q: Which card performs better in the recorded OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M2000 scores 14,588 versus the GeForce GTX 590's 12,830, a 13.7% advantage.

Q: Does the GeForce GTX 590 have any benchmark win over the Quadro M2000?

A: No. In the only head-to-head test, the Quadro M2000 wins. The GeForce GTX 590 has zero recorded wins.

Q: How do the two cards compare in memory capacity?

A: The Quadro M2000 has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GeForce GTX 590 has 1,536 MB of GDDR5.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GeForce GTX 590 has higher memory bandwidth at 164.0 GB/s, compared to the Quadro M2000's 105.8 GB/s.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Quadro M2000 has a TDP of 75 W, while the GeForce GTX 590 has a TDP of 365 W.

Q: Does the GeForce GTX 590 support Vulkan?

A: No. The GeForce GTX 590 has no recorded Vulkan support, while the Quadro M2000 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro M2000 wins in every benchmark category that the database records. It wins the only head-to-head test, the Geekbench OpenCL, with a 13.7% margin. It has a higher FP32 throughput (1.786 TFLOPS versus 1,244.2 GFLOPS), higher pixel rate (37.22 GPixel/s versus 19.46 GPixel/s), and higher texture rate (55.82 GTexel/s versus 38.91 GTexel/s). It also has more memory (4 GB versus 1,536 MB), a newer architecture (Maxwell 2.0 versus Fermi 2.0), a smaller manufacturing node (28 nm versus 40 nm), and a much lower TDP (75 W versus 365 W). For compute workloads, modern API support, and power-constrained environments, the Quadro M2000 is the clear winner.

The GeForce GTX 590 wins in memory bandwidth (164.0 GB/s versus 105.8 GB/s), memory bus width (384-bit versus 128-bit), TMU count (64 versus 48), and ROP count (48 versus 32). It also has a wider physical footprint and requires more power, but none of these specifications translate into a recorded performance win. For scenarios that rely purely on raw memory bandwidth, the GeForce GTX 590 might theoretically have an edge, but the database shows no benchmark where that advantage manifests. The Quadro M2000 is the better choice for anyone prioritizing compute performance, efficiency, and long-term software support.