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 RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

✅51.0% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Radeon RX590 GME

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $156 less on MSRP ($173 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

GeForce RTX 3060

2021

Radeon RX590 GME

2018

Why buy it

✅51.0% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $156 less on MSRP ($173 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 better than Radeon RX590 GME?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 averages 51.0% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 16,995 vs 8,349 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 is a 2021 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX590 GME is a 2018 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2018, 103.6% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 8 GB, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 is about 90.2% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $173 MSRP, and you are getting 51.0% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 103.6% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 7%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon RX590 GME still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX590 GME is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $173 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 RTX 3060 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX590 GME Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
1080p
low	149 FPS	139 FPS
medium	131 FPS	124 FPS
high	118 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	122 FPS
medium	104 FPS	100 FPS
high	92 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	71 FPS
medium	58 FPS	60 FPS
high	39 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	40 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon RX590 GME

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
1080p
low	354 FPS	209 FPS
medium	310 FPS	179 FPS
high	249 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	195 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	222 FPS	143 FPS
medium	196 FPS	118 FPS
high	160 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	110 FPS	81 FPS
medium	94 FPS	69 FPS
high	77 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon RX590 GME

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
1080p
low	765 FPS	376 FPS
medium	612 FPS	301 FPS
high	510 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	188 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	282 FPS
medium	432 FPS	225 FPS
high	366 FPS	188 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	141 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	188 FPS
medium	298 FPS	150 FPS
high	221 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	94 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon RX590 GME

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
1080p
low	523 FPS	376 FPS
medium	452 FPS	301 FPS
high	383 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	188 FPS
1440p
low	428 FPS	282 FPS
medium	371 FPS	225 FPS
high	298 FPS	188 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	141 FPS
4K
low	279 FPS	176 FPS
medium	259 FPS	138 FPS
high	225 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	186 FPS	94 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3060 Open Radeon RX590 GME

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 and Radeon RX590 GME

GeForce RTX 3060

The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.

Radeon RX590 GME

The Radeon RX590 GME is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1469 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 175W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,349 points. Launch price was $279.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 scores 16,995 versus the Radeon RX590 GME's 8,349 — the GeForce RTX 3060 leads by 103.6%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX590 GME uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX590 GME). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX590 GME). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
G3D Mark Score	16,995+104%	8,349
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	3584+56%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	12.74 TFLOPS+79%	7.119 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1777 MHz+15%	1545 MHz
ROPs	48+50%	32
TMUs	112	144+29%
L1 Cache	3.5 MB+525%	0.56 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX590 GME relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	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 RTX 3060 comes with 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX590 GME has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 192-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX590 GME) — the GeForce RTX 3060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX590 GME). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX590 GME). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX590 GME).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
Encoder	NVENC 7th Gen	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	UVD 6.3
Codecs	AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the Radeon RX590 GME's 175W — a 2.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 500W (Radeon RX590 GME). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3060	Radeon RX590 GME
TDP	170W-3%	175W
Recommended PSU	550W	500W-9%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	241mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+110%	47.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 launched at $329 MSRP, while the Radeon RX590 GME launched at $173. The Radeon RX590 GME costs 47.4% less ($156 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48.3 (Radeon RX590 GME) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 7% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2018).