GTX 690 vs RX Vega 56
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 690 | RX Vega 56 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 2,191 | 3,688 | -40.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 34 | 44 | -22.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 19 | 26 | -26.9% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 10 | 14 | -28.6% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 6.3 | 10.5 | -40.6% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB HBM2 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 448 | 410 | +9.3% |
| TDP (W) | 300 | 210 | — |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | $999 | $399 | +150.4% |
- RX Vega 56 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 27% faster.
- RX Vega 56 draws less power (210W vs 300W).
Verdict: GTX 690 or RX Vega 56?
GTX 690 advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+8%)
RX Vega 56 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+27%)
- 4K gaming (+29%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+41%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- Power efficiency (+30%)
- Affordability (+60%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 690 if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the RX Vega 56 if you game at 1440p.
Value for money
RX Vega 56 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
GTX 690 vs RX Vega 56: which should you choose?
GTX 690 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 19 fps at 1440p; launched at $999.
RX Vega 56 — AMD desktop graphics card (2017, Vega) with 8 GB of HBM2, averaging 26 fps at 1440p; launched at $399.
GTX 690 vs RX Vega 56: RX Vega 56 is faster for gaming. RX Vega 56 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 27% faster. RX Vega 56 draws less power (210W vs 300W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RX Vega 56 averages 26 fps against 19. At 4K (10 vs 14 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 300 W versus 210 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise. At launch MSRPs of $999 vs $399, weigh the frame-rate lead against price and power draw for your target resolution.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 690 better than the RX Vega 56?
RX Vega 56 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RX Vega 56 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 27% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 690 and the RX Vega 56?
RX Vega 56 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 19 fps — about 27% faster. RX Vega 56 draws less power (210W vs 300W).
Which is better value?
RX Vega 56 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 690 if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads. Choose the RX Vega 56 if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.