AMD Radeon Pro 560X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X in nearly the same overall performance tier, yet their individual strengths diverge sharply. The GTX 580 holds a commanding lead in the single shared OpenCL test, while the Radeon Pro 560X counters with superior API support and a much more modern feature set. This comparison is not about a clear winner, but about which workload and environment each card is better suited for.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively in favor of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580. The GTX 580 scores 15,283, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X scores 9,663. This translates to a 58.2% advantage for the GTX 580, a massive gap that indicates a fundamental difference in raw compute throughput in this specific test. The data shows a clear winner here, with NVIDIA holding a lead that is impossible to ignore for any OpenCL-based workload.

However, the Radeon Pro 560X is not without its own benchmark victories, though they come from different test suites. The AMD card achieves a Geekbench Metal score of 18,763 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 16,819. These scores are not directly comparable to the GTX 580's OpenCL result, as they measure performance through different graphics APIs. The GTX 580 has no listed Metal or Vulkan scores, meaning the data does not allow for a direct head-to-head in those tests. The Radeon Pro 560X also lists an OpenCL score of 9,663, which is its weakest result and the only point of direct comparison, where it falls far behind.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, both cards sit in a similar percentile range. The GTX 580 is at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon Pro 560X sits just one point lower at the 57th percentile. Their average benchmark scores are also very close: 15,283 for the GTX 580 and 15,082 for the Radeon Pro 560X, a difference of roughly 1.3%. This suggests that despite the large OpenCL delta, other unmeasured factors or API-specific tests likely bring their overall performance profiles into a similar range.

The nearest rivals for each card confirm this positioning. The GTX 580's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with an average score of 15,290, a delta of 0.0%. It also trades blows with the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270, +0.1% for the GTX 580) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15,199, +0.6% for the GTX 580). The Radeon Pro 560X's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti at 15,063, with the Pro 560X ahead by 0.1%. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15,171, -0.6%), the RTX 3050 OEM (15,199, -0.8%), and the Radeon 680M (15,270, -1.2%). This clustering shows that both cards are essentially peers in overall average performance, despite the stark contrast in their OpenCL results.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different audiences. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is the choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute performance in OpenCL environments. Its 58.2% lead over the Radeon Pro 560X in the Geekbench OpenCL test is the single most significant performance gap in this comparison. This card is also larger and consumes significantly more power, but for pure compute tasks that leverage OpenCL, it is the undisputed winner according to the benchmarks.

The AMD Radeon Pro 560X is the better option for users who need modern API support and efficiency. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 580 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed. This makes the Radeon Pro 560X far more versatile for contemporary applications and games that rely on Vulkan. Its 75 W TDP and IGP slot width also make it suitable for compact or portable systems, whereas the GTX 580's 244 W TDP and dual-slot design require a more substantial chassis and power supply. The Radeon Pro 560X also has a much smaller die size and higher transistor density, indicating a more modern manufacturing process.

For a user building a new system today, the Radeon Pro 560X is the more logical choice due to its API support and power efficiency. For a legacy system or a specific compute workload that is heavily optimized for OpenCL and can tolerate high power draw, the GTX 580 offers unmatched performance in this pairing.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins decisively in pure compute performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 15,283 versus 9,663 is a 58.2% victory, making it the obvious pick for any application that relies heavily on this API. This could include scientific computing, video encoding, or any other task that can offload parallel work to the GPU via OpenCL. The card also has a much higher memory bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s compared to the Radeon Pro 560X's 94.08 GB/s, and a wider 384-bit memory bus versus 128-bit, which likely contributes to its compute advantage.

The AMD Radeon Pro 560X wins in the areas of modern software support and physical design. Its Vulkan 1.3 support is a major advantage, as this API is used by many modern game engines and applications. The card also has a higher pixel rate of 16.06 GPixel/s and texture rate of 64.26 GTexel/s compared to the GTX 580's 24.70 GPixel/s and 49.41 GTexel/s, respectively. Note that the texture rate is higher on the AMD card, despite its lower overall compute score. The Radeon Pro 560X also has double the memory capacity at 4 GB versus 1536 MB, which is crucial for modern high-resolution textures. Finally, its 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it a drop-in solution for systems that cannot support the GTX 580's 244 W TDP and 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector requirement.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is significantly faster, scoring 15,283 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 560X's 9,663. This represents a 58.2% advantage for the GTX 580.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro 560X support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Radeon Pro 560X supports Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 does not have a listed Vulkan version in its specifications.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560X has a TDP of 75 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has a TDP of 244 W. The Radeon Pro 560X also requires no power connectors, whereas the GTX 580 requires a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connector.

Q: How do their overall benchmark scores compare?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has an average benchmark score of 15,283, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560X has an average score of 15,082. This places them at the 58th and 57th percentiles of all GPUs, respectively, making them very close overall.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory. The Radeon Pro 560X also has a faster effective memory clock of 5.9 Gbps versus 4 Gbps.

Q: What are the closest rivals to these GPUs based on average score?

A: The GTX 580's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with a 0.0% delta. The Radeon Pro 560X's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti, with the Radeon Pro 560X being 0.1% faster.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 uses the GF110 chip based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 40 nm process. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X uses the Polaris 21 chip based on the GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. This difference in process node is significant, as the 14 nm node is much smaller and more efficient. Both chips contain 3,000 million transistors, but the GTX 580's die size is 520 mm², while the Radeon Pro 560X's die size is only 123 mm². This results in a transistor density of 5.8M / mm² for the GTX 580 and 24.4M / mm² for the Radeon Pro 560X, highlighting the much denser packing of the newer AMD chip.

The architecture differences also manifest in the compute unit configurations. The GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 560X has double the shading units at 1,024, but only 16 ROPs. This explains the different performance characteristics, with the GTX 580 having a higher pixel rate of 24.70 GPixel/s versus the Radeon Pro 560X's 16.06 GPixel/s. However, the Radeon Pro 560X has a higher texture rate of 64.26 GTexel/s compared to the GTX 580's 49.41 GTexel/s. The GTX 580 also has a higher FP32 compute rating of 1.581 TFLOPS, but the Radeon Pro 560X exceeds it with 2.056 TFLOPS, and also offers FP16 compute at 2.056 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, a feature the GTX 580 does not list.

Memory architecture also differs significantly. The GTX 580 uses a 384-bit memory bus, while the Radeon Pro 560X uses a 128-bit bus. This gives the GTX 580 a much higher memory bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s versus 94.08 GB/s. However, the Radeon Pro 560X has a larger memory capacity of 4 GB and a faster effective memory speed of 5.9 Gbps. In terms of API support, the Radeon Pro 560X is more modern, supporting DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 580 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6.

Specification Differences

The most striking differences between the two cards are in their power and physical specifications. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has a TDP of 244 W and requires a 550 W suggested PSU, along with a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector. It is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X, in contrast, has a TDP of just 75 W, requires no power connectors, and is classified as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) slot width. Its dimensions are not listed, which is typical for a mobile or integrated part. The bus interface also differs: the GTX 580 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the Radeon Pro 560X uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

Display outputs are another major point of divergence. The GTX 580 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs. The Radeon Pro 560X's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," indicating it is designed for use in laptops or all-in-one systems where outputs are determined by the host device. The memory specifications also differ: the GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 94.08 GB/s bandwidth. The launch MSRP for the GTX 580 was 499 USD, while the Radeon Pro 560X has no listed launch MSRP. The release dates also differ significantly, with the GTX 580 launching on November 8, 2010, and the Radeon Pro 560X launching on July 15, 2018.