NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590: A Legend of the Dual-Chip Era in Retrospective 2025
Introduction
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590, released in 2011, became a symbol of an era when manufacturers competed to create dual-chip monsters. Despite its age, this card still piques the interest of enthusiasts. In 2025, its relevance is limited, but it remains an important part of GPU history. Let’s look at its features through the lens of modern requirements.
Architecture and Key Features
Fermi Architecture: The Power Backbone
The GTX 590 is built on the Fermi architecture (GF110), combining two GPUs on a single board. The manufacturing process is 40nm, which was cutting-edge in 2011. Each chip contained 512 CUDA cores, totaling 1024 cores.
Unique Features of Its Time
The card supported NVIDIA SLI (for linking multiple GPUs), PhysX for physics calculations in games, and CUDA for parallel computing. Technologies like RTX or DLSS, which emerged after 2018, are absent here—ray tracing and upscaling became available only with the RTX series.
Design Characteristics
The GTX 590 was one of the first dual-chip cards where NVIDIA's engineers placed two GPUs under a single cooling system. This required careful temperature management, which later resulted in overclocking limitations.
Memory: Size and Bandwidth
GDDR5: The Standard of the Era
Each chip was equipped with 1.5 GB of GDDR5 memory, totaling 3 GB. However, due to the AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering) technology, the effective volume for gaming remained 1.5 GB—sufficient for games from 2011–2013, but today even 1080p in modern projects requires a minimum of 4–6 GB.
Bandwidth
The 384-bit bus for each chip and a frequency of 3414 MHz provided a bandwidth of 164 GB/s per GPU. In comparison, modern cards like the RTX 4060 Ti (288 GB/s on GDDR6X) exhibit a speed increase of 1.7 times.
Gaming Performance: Nostalgia in the 4K Era
Retro Games and Old Projects
In games from the 2010s, the GTX 590 delivered impressive results:
- The Witcher 2: 45–55 FPS on Ultra (1080p);
- Battlefield 3: 60–70 FPS (1080p);
- Crysis 2: 50–60 FPS (1080p).
Modern Projects: The Realities of 2025
In 2025, even at 1080p, the card struggles with titles:
- Cyberpunk 2077: 10–15 FPS on Low (without ray tracing);
- Hogwarts Legacy: 8–12 FPS (720p, minimum settings).
Support for resolutions above 1080p (1440p, 4K) is virtually impossible due to lack of memory and computing power.
Professional Tasks: CUDA in the Era of Limitations
Video Editing and Rendering
Thanks to CUDA, the GTX 590 could accelerate rendering in Adobe Premiere Pro or Blender (Cycles) during the 2010s. However, today its 1024 Fermi cores greatly lag behind even budget RTX 3050 cards (2560 Ampere cores). For example, rendering a scene in Blender takes 4–5 times longer.
Scientific Calculations
For tasks like MATLAB or Folding@Home, the card is only suitable for theoretical experiments. Modern CUDA and OpenCL libraries often require support for architectures no lower than Kepler (2012), limiting compatibility.
Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation
TDP and Power Supply Requirements
The GTX 590 has a TDP of 365 Watts. A power supply rated at a minimum of 700 Watts with quality +12V lines was required for stable operation. In 2025, such specifications are considered archaic: even the RTX 4090 (450 Watts) is more efficient in terms of performance.
Overheating Issues
The card is known for its "hot temper": under load, temperatures could reach up to 90°C. Cooling recommendations include:
- A case with good ventilation (at least 3 fans);
- Regular thermal paste replacement;
- Avoid overclocking—the risk of chip overheating is too high.
Comparison with Competitors: The Titan Battle of 2011
AMD Radeon HD 6990: The Main Rival
The HD 6990, like the GTX 590, combined two chips (Cayman XT) with 3072 Stream cores. Its advantages include:
- Larger memory size—4 GB GDDR5;
- Support for Eyefinity to connect 6 monitors.
Disadvantages: higher TDP (375 Watts) and a noisy cooling system.
Summary of the Showdown
Both cards had similar performance, but the GTX 590 excelled in relative energy efficiency and PhysX support. However, by 2025, both solutions are considered outdated both morally and technically.
Practical Tips for Enthusiasts
Power Supply and Compatibility
- Minimum of 700 Watts with 80+ Bronze certification;
- Check the connectors: the GTX 590 requires 2×8-pin PCIe.
Platforms and Drivers
- Compatible with PCIe 2.0, but works in 3.0/4.0 slots;
- Official NVIDIA drivers ceased support in 2020. For Windows 10/11, use modified community versions.
Usage Nuances
- Avoid modern games with Vulkan/DX12—the card is optimized for DX11;
- To reduce heat, limit FPS via NVIDIA Inspector.
Pros and Cons of the GTX 590 in 2025
Pros:
- Legendary status and unique design;
- SLI support for creating multi-GPU systems;
- Sufficient for retro games and older projects.
Cons:
- Limited memory (1.5 GB per chip);
- High power consumption;
- Lack of support for modern APIs and technologies.
Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the GTX 590?
This graphics card is an artifact of an era that should only be considered for:
1. Collectors—as part of gaming hardware history;
2. Retro PC Enthusiasts—for building systems from the 2010s;
3. Experienced Users—as an experimental project.
For modern gaming, video editing, or calculations, the GTX 590 is unfit. Its value today lies in nostalgia and engineering heritage, rather than practical performance. If you are looking for a workhorse, consider budget models like the RTX 3050 or AMD RX 6600—they are 5–7 times faster while consuming half the power.
P.S. New GTX 590s have not been sold since 2013. On the second-hand market, prices range from $50–100 depending on condition. Remember: buying such a card in 2025 is an investment in history, not in performance.