G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 vs GeForce GTX 590 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 vs GeForce GTX 590: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $570 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 440.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 25.8 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 106W instead of 365W, a 259W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 590 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 590

2011

Why buy it

✅173.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).
✅More future proof: Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2011 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
441.9% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.8 vs 25.8 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌244.3% higher power demand at 365W vs 106W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 590 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 173.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (3,341 vs 3,331), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $570 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 440.2% (25.8 vs 4.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce GTX 590 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 vs GeForce GTX 590 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2

The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,331 points.

GeForce GTX 590

The GeForce GTX 590 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 24 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 1024 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 365W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,341 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 scores 3,331 and the GeForce GTX 590 reaches 3,341 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 590 uses Fermi 2.0, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 1,024 (GeForce GTX 590). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 590).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
G3D Mark Score	3,331	3,341
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Fermi 2.0
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	192	1024 ×2+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS	1.244 TFLOPS ×2+107%
ROPs	16	48 ×2+200%
TMUs	32	64 ×2+100%
L1 Cache	0.25 MB	1 MB+300%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 590 carries 3 GB. GeForce GTX 590 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 and 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 590. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 768 KB (GeForce GTX 590) — the GeForce GTX 590 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	3 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	256 KB	768 KB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 590). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
DirectX	12 (11_0)	12 (11_0)
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	2	4+100%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs PureVideo HD (VP5). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 590).

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	—
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	PureVideo HD (VP5)
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 draws 106W versus the GeForce GTX 590's 365W — a 110% difference. The GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 700W (GeForce GTX 590). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 68°C vs 90°C.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
TDP	106W-71%	365W
Recommended PSU	400W-43%	700W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	210mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	68°C-24%	90°C
Perf/Watt	31.4+241%	9.2

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 came in at $129, while the GeForce GTX 590 launched at $699. On MSRP, GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 was 81.5% cheaper ($570 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 25.8 (GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2) vs 4.8 (GeForce GTX 590) — the GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 offers 437.5% better value.

Feature	GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2	GeForce GTX 590
MSRP	$129-82%	$699
Performance per Dollar	25.8+438%	4.8
Codename	GF116	GF110
Release	March 15 2011	March 24 2011
Ranking	#739	#555

Search GeForce GTS 450 Rev. 2 on Amazon

Search GeForce GTX 590 on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.