GeForce RTX 5090
Blackwell · 32 GB GDDR7 · 575 W
Radeon RX 580 8GB
Polaris · 8 GB GDDR5 · 185 W
GeForce RTX 5090 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, GeForce RTX 5090 lands at 98 and Radeon RX 580 8GB at 52. That puts GeForce RTX 5090 ahead by 46 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick GeForce RTX 5090 if…
- ✓Unrivaled 4K and path-tracing
- ✓DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen
- ✓32 GB VRAM for AI
Pick Radeon RX 580 8GB if…
- ✓More VRAM at price tier
- ✓FSR support
- ✓Driver open-source on Linux
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test4K & rasterization
GeForce RTX 5090Traditional rendering throughput at high resolution
GeForce RTX 5090 leads on raster (100 vs 52).
Ray tracing
GeForce RTX 5090RT-heavy titles with path-traced lighting
GeForce RTX 5090 leads on rt (100 vs 42).
AI workloads
GeForce RTX 5090Local inference, upscaling, generative tools
GeForce RTX 5090 leads on ai (100 vs 40).
Power efficiency
GeForce RTX 5090Frames per watt — heat, noise, and PSU sizing
GeForce RTX 5090 leads on efficiency (78 vs 74).
Value for money
Radeon RX 580 8GBSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Radeon RX 580 8GB more score per dollar ($229 vs $1,999).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | GeForce RTX 5090 | Radeon RX 580 8GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Blackwell | Polaris |
| CUDA cores | 21,760 | — |
| Tensor cores | 680 (5th gen) | — |
| RT cores | 170 (4th gen) | — |
| VRAM | ▲ 32 GB GDDR7 | 8 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory bus | 512-bit | — |
| Bandwidth | 1792 GB/s | — |
| TBP | 575 W | 185 W |
| PCIe | PCIe 5.0 x16 | — |
| Release year | — | 2017 |
GeForce RTX 5090
- +Unrivaled 4K and path-tracing
- +DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Gen
- +32 GB VRAM for AI
- −Enormous power draw
- −Two-slot+ cooler required
- −Scarce MSRP supply
Radeon RX 580 8GB
- +More VRAM at price tier
- +FSR support
- +Driver open-source on Linux
- −RT trails NVIDIA
- −AI ecosystem smaller
- −Driver day-0 bugs
FAQ: GeForce RTX 5090 vs Radeon RX 580 8GB
Which is better, GeForce RTX 5090 or Radeon RX 580 8GB? +
GeForce RTX 5090 scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 46. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is GeForce RTX 5090 worth the price? +
At $1,999, GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in raster.
Is Radeon RX 580 8GB worth the price? +
At $229, Radeon RX 580 8GB delivers a Specdex score of 52 — strongest in efficiency.
Does GeForce RTX 5090 or Radeon RX 580 8GB last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is better for 4K gaming, GeForce RTX 5090 or Radeon RX 580 8GB? +
GeForce RTX 5090 — leads on raster (100 vs 52). Traditional rendering throughput at high resolution.
Which is better for ray tracing, GeForce RTX 5090 or Radeon RX 580 8GB? +
GeForce RTX 5090 — leads on rt (100 vs 42). RT-heavy titles with path-traced lighting.