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.

Radeon RX 590

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $721 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 270.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.4 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Tesla P4: it remains the more sensible modern option while Tesla P4 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 175W vs 75W.
❌43.5% longer card at 241mm vs 168mm.

Tesla P4

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 175W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 241mm, a 73mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
258.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.0 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Radeon RX 590

2018

Tesla P4

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $721 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 270.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.4 vs 9.0 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Tesla P4: it remains the more sensible modern option while Tesla P4 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 175W, a 100W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 241mm, a 73mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 175W vs 75W.
❌43.5% longer card at 241mm vs 168mm.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
258.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.0 vs 33.4 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 590 better than Tesla P4?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 9,315 vs 9,004 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 590 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Radeon RX 590 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 12nm process instead of 16nm. 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?

Radeon RX 590 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $279 MSRP. Radeon RX 590 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 590 is about $721 cheaper on MSRP at $279 MSRP versus $1,000 MSRP, and you are getting 3.5% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $279 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

Is Tesla P4 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Tesla P4 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 $1,000 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Radeon RX 590 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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.

Radeon RX 590 Benchmark Check

Tesla P4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
1080p
low	175 FPS	103 FPS
medium	159 FPS	89 FPS
high	138 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	43 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	90 FPS
medium	126 FPS	79 FPS
high	104 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	28 FPS
medium	64 FPS	27 FPS
high	49 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	15 FPS

Open Radeon RX 590 Open Tesla P4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
1080p
low	170 FPS	219 FPS
medium	145 FPS	177 FPS
high	126 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	159 FPS
medium	75 FPS	128 FPS
high	60 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	46 FPS	92 FPS
medium	36 FPS	73 FPS
high	31 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	26 FPS	45 FPS

Open Radeon RX 590 Open Tesla P4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
1080p
low	419 FPS	405 FPS
medium	335 FPS	324 FPS
high	279 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	314 FPS	304 FPS
medium	252 FPS	243 FPS
high	210 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	203 FPS
medium	168 FPS	162 FPS
high	140 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	101 FPS

Open Radeon RX 590 Open Tesla P4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
1080p
low	419 FPS	193 FPS
medium	335 FPS	159 FPS
high	279 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	314 FPS	134 FPS
medium	252 FPS	114 FPS
high	210 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	80 FPS
medium	149 FPS	64 FPS
high	131 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	38 FPS

Open Radeon RX 590 Open Tesla P4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 590 and Tesla P4

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.

Tesla P4

The Tesla P4 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 886 MHz to 1114 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,004 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 590 scores 9,315 and the Tesla P4 reaches 9,004 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 590 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Tesla P4 uses Pascal, both on 12 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Radeon RX 590) vs 2,560 (Tesla P4). Raw compute: 7.119 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 590) vs 5.704 TFLOPS (Tesla P4). Boost clocks: 1545 MHz vs 1114 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
G3D Mark Score	9,315+3%	9,004
Architecture	GCN 4.0	Pascal
Process Node	12 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2304	2560+11%
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.119 TFLOPS+25%	5.704 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1545 MHz+39%	1114 MHz
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	144	160+11%
L1 Cache	576 KB	960 KB+67%
L2 Cache	2 MB	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 Tesla P4 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 590 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla P4 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 590 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 590) vs 12.1 (Tesla P4). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
DirectX	12.0	12.1
Vulkan	1.2	1.4+17%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 590) vs NVENC 6.0 (Tesla P4). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 590) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9 (Tesla P4).

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
Encoder	VCE 3.4	NVENC 6.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 590 draws 175W versus the Tesla P4's 75W — a 80% difference. The Tesla P4 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 590) vs 500W (Tesla P4). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 241mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 590	Tesla P4
TDP	175W	75W-57%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	168mm
Height	111mm	53mm
Slots	2	1-50%
Temp (Load)	80°C	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	53.2	120.1+126%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 590 launched at $279 MSRP, while the Tesla P4 launched at $1000. The Radeon RX 590 costs 72.1% less ($721 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.4 (Radeon RX 590) vs 9.0 (Tesla P4) — the Radeon RX 590 offers 271.1% better value. The Radeon RX 590 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2016).