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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 590

2011

Why buy it

✅Costs $101 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.8 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌204.2% higher power demand at 365W vs 120W.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 120W instead of 365W, a 245W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
14.4% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$699 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 590

2011

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

2010

Why buy it

✅Costs $101 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.8 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs 2 GB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 120W instead of 365W, a 245W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Very weak future-proofing: 2011-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌204.2% higher power demand at 365W vs 120W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
❌
14.4% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$699 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 590 better than Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 3,341 vs 3,311 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 590 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 590 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2011 generation instead of 2010, more VRAM at 3 GB instead of 2 GB, and the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 590 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $699 MSRP. GeForce GTX 590 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 590 is about $101 cheaper on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $800 MSRP, and you are getting 0.9% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $699 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $800 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. GeForce GTX 590 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 590 Benchmark Check

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	80 FPS	98 FPS
medium	65 FPS	81 FPS
high	52 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	37 FPS
1440p
low	67 FPS	84 FPS
medium	55 FPS	69 FPS
high	40 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	27 FPS
medium	23 FPS	26 FPS
high	15 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	13 FPS	14 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 590 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	137 FPS	73 FPS
medium	107 FPS	49 FPS
high	86 FPS	36 FPS
ultra	63 FPS	24 FPS
1440p
low	97 FPS	41 FPS
medium	70 FPS	23 FPS
high	57 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	12 FPS
4K
low	44 FPS	14 FPS
medium	34 FPS	8 FPS
high	31 FPS	7 FPS
ultra	25 FPS	5 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 590 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	150 FPS	149 FPS
medium	120 FPS	119 FPS
high	100 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	113 FPS	112 FPS
medium	90 FPS	89 FPS
high	75 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	75 FPS	74 FPS
medium	60 FPS	60 FPS
high	50 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	37 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 590 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
1080p
low	150 FPS	149 FPS
medium	120 FPS	119 FPS
high	100 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	74 FPS
1440p
low	113 FPS	112 FPS
medium	90 FPS	89 FPS
high	75 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	75 FPS	69 FPS
medium	52 FPS	54 FPS
high	41 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	32 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 590 Open Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 590 and Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

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.

Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire

The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the Terascale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 1600 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,311 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 590 scores 3,341 and the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire reaches 3,311 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 590 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire uses Terascale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 590) vs 1,600 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
G3D Mark Score	3,341	3,311
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	Terascale 2
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1024 ×2	1600+56%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 590 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 590 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire has 2 GB. The GeForce GTX 590 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 590) vs 11.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
DirectX	12 (11_0)+9%	11.0
OpenGL	4.6+5%	4.4
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP5) vs UVD 2.3. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 590) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire).

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
Encoder	—	UVD 2.3
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP5)	UVD 2.3
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 590 draws 365W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire's 120W — a 101% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 700W (GeForce GTX 590) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 95°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire
TDP	365W	120W-67%
Recommended PSU	700W	350W-50%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C-5%	95°C
Perf/Watt	9.2	27.6+200%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 590 launched at $699 MSRP, while the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire launched at $800. The GeForce GTX 590 costs 12.6% less ($101 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.8 (GeForce GTX 590) vs 4.1 (Mobility Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire) — the GeForce GTX 590 offers 17.1% better value. The GeForce GTX 590 is the newer GPU (2011 vs 2010).