GeForce GTX 590 vs Radeon E8870PCIe

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 GTX 590 vs Radeon E8870PCIe 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 GTX 590 vs Radeon E8870PCIe: 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 GTX 590

2011

Why buy it

✅169.7% 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).

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.
❌
179.6% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$250 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.8 vs 13.5 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌886.5% higher power demand at 365W vs 37W.

Radeon E8870PCIe

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $449 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Delivers 181.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.5 vs 4.8 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 37W instead of 365W, a 328W 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.
❌2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

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 169.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon E8870PCIe instead at 3,368 vs 3,341, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

GeForce GTX 590 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon E8870PCIe makes the most sense to buy today. It is $449 cheaper on MSRP at $250 vs $699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 181.9% (13.5 vs 4.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon E8870PCIe is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 590 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 590 vs Radeon E8870PCIe Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon E8870PCIe

The Radeon E8870PCIe is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 25 2014. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 575 MHz to 625 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 37W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,368 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 590 scores 3,341 and the Radeon E8870PCIe reaches 3,368 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 590 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Radeon E8870PCIe uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce GTX 590) vs 640 (Radeon E8870PCIe). Raw compute: 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX 590) vs 0.8 TFLOPS (Radeon E8870PCIe).

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Radeon E8870PCIe
G3D Mark Score	3,341	3,368
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024 ×2+60%	640
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.244 TFLOPS ×2+55%	0.8 TFLOPS
ROPs	48 ×2+200%	16
TMUs	64 ×2+60%	40
L1 Cache	1 MB+525%	0.16 MB
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 590 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon E8870PCIe leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Radeon E8870PCIe
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 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon E8870PCIe carries 2 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 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 590 and 64-bit on the Radeon E8870PCIe. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce GTX 590) vs 256 KB (Radeon E8870PCIe) — the GeForce GTX 590 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Radeon E8870PCIe
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+50%	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 590 draws 365W versus the Radeon E8870PCIe's 37W — a 163.2% difference. The Radeon E8870PCIe is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 700W (GeForce GTX 590) vs 350W (Radeon E8870PCIe). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Radeon E8870PCIe
TDP	365W	37W-90%
Recommended PSU	700W	350W-50%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	9.2	91.0+889%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 590 came in at $699, while the Radeon E8870PCIe launched at $250. On MSRP, Radeon E8870PCIe was 64.2% cheaper ($449 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.8 (GeForce GTX 590) vs 13.5 (Radeon E8870PCIe) — the Radeon E8870PCIe offers 181.3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon E8870PCIe (2014 vs 2011).

Feature	GeForce GTX 590	Radeon E8870PCIe
MSRP	$699	$250-64%
Performance per Dollar	4.8	13.5+181%
Codename	GF110	Venus
Release	March 24 2011	January 25 2014
Ranking	#555	#734

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