GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX590 GME

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060

2021Core: 1320 MHzBoost: 1777 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX590 GME

2018Core: 1469 MHzBoost: 1545 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX590 GME Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX590 GME 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 RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX590 GME: 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 RTX 3060

2021

Why buy it

  • 50.9% more average FPS across 50 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).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base 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 50 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.
  • Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 50.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 103.6% in PassMark G3D (16,995 vs 8,349), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 12nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2018. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $156 more expensive on MSRP at $329 vs $173, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 7% (51.7 vs 48.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3060 vs Radeon RX590 GME Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX590 GME leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX590 GME carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX590 GME. 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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon 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

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the Radeon RX590 GME launched at $173. On MSRP, Radeon RX590 GME was 47.4% cheaper ($156 less). 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 newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 (2021 vs 2018).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060Radeon RX590 GME
MSRP
$329
$173-47%
Performance per Dollar
51.7+7%
48.3
Codename
GA106
Polaris 30
Release
January 12 2021
November 15 2018
Ranking
#114
#285

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.