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 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅+138% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 33.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌25.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 175W.

Radeon RX 590

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Draws 175W instead of 220W, a 45W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,315 vs 22,172).
❌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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Radeon RX 590

2018

Why buy it

✅+138% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 33.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Costs $220 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Draws 175W instead of 220W, a 45W reduction.
✅Measures 241mm instead of 242mm, a 1mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌25.7% higher power demand at 220W vs 175W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (9,315 vs 22,172).
❌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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.4 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than Radeon RX 590?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 9,315 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 590 is a 2018 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2018, 138.0% more raw performance headroom, the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, and a 8nm process instead of 12nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is about 78.9% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $279 MSRP, and you are getting 138.0% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 33.1%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon RX 590 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 590 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 $279 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3070 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 3070 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 590 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	158 FPS	175 FPS
medium	140 FPS	159 FPS
high	123 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	153 FPS
medium	109 FPS	126 FPS
high	96 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	76 FPS
medium	67 FPS	64 FPS
high	52 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	43 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon RX 590

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	470 FPS	170 FPS
medium	405 FPS	145 FPS
high	327 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	294 FPS	96 FPS
medium	246 FPS	75 FPS
high	213 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	49 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	46 FPS
medium	120 FPS	36 FPS
high	105 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon RX 590

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	885 FPS	419 FPS
medium	712 FPS	335 FPS
high	619 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	499 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	314 FPS
medium	557 FPS	252 FPS
high	473 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	374 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	210 FPS
medium	388 FPS	168 FPS
high	330 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	105 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon RX 590

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
1080p
low	600 FPS	419 FPS
medium	527 FPS	335 FPS
high	433 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	489 FPS	314 FPS
medium	433 FPS	252 FPS
high	339 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	297 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	292 FPS	190 FPS
medium	270 FPS	149 FPS
high	238 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	105 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open Radeon RX 590

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and Radeon RX 590

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Radeon RX 590

The Radeon RX 590 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: 9,315 points. Launch price was $279.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Radeon RX 590's 9,315 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 138%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 590 uses GCN 4.0, both on 8 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 590). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 590). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1545 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
G3D Mark Score	22,172+138%	9,315
Architecture	Ampere	GCN 4.0
Process Node	8 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	5888+156%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	20.31 TFLOPS+185%	7.119 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1725 MHz+12%	1545 MHz
ROPs	96+200%	32
TMUs	184+28%	144
L1 Cache	5.8 MB+936%	0.56 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 590 is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3070 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3070 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 590 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 590) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 590) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s+75%	256 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 590). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.0
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 590). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 590).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Radeon RX 590's 175W — a 22.8% difference. The Radeon RX 590 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 500W (Radeon RX 590). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 241mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	Radeon RX 590
TDP	220W	175W-20%
Recommended PSU	650W	500W-23%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	242mm	241mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-6%	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.8+89%	53.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 590 launched at $279. The Radeon RX 590 costs 44.1% less ($220 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 33.4 (Radeon RX 590) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 32.9% better value. The GeForce RTX 3070 is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2018).