AMD Radeon Pro 580 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 580 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile represent two distinct approaches to mobile graphics, separated by nearly four years of architectural evolution. The database places the AMD part at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA part sits at the 78th percentile. However, the average benchmark scores tell a more complex story: the AMD Radeon Pro 580 averages 40,318 points, while the RTX 3050 Mobile averages 33,170 points. This discrepancy between percentile rank and average score stems from the specific workloads measured, with the AMD card excelling in compute-oriented tests while the NVIDIA card dominates in graphics API benchmarks. The data available for direct comparison includes two head-to-head tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, both of which favor the NVIDIA solution.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile secures victories in both recorded head-to-head benchmarks. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 against the Radeon Pro 580's 38,457, a margin of 23.1 percent. The Vulkan test shows a narrower gap: 49,051 versus 43,285, giving the NVIDIA card an 11.8 percent advantage. These results indicate that for graphics API workloads, particularly those leveraging Vulkan's modern feature set, the RTX 3050 Mobile is the stronger performer.

The AMD Radeon Pro 580, despite losing both direct comparisons, demonstrates its strength in other metrics. Its average benchmark score of 40,318 across all recorded tests exceeds the RTX 3050 Mobile's 33,170 by roughly 21.5 percent. This suggests that in compute-heavy tasks not captured by the two head-to-head tests, the Radeon Pro 580 maintains a significant edge. The card's higher percentile ranking (82nd versus 78th) further supports this interpretation, as the percentile calculation incorporates a broader range of benchmark data.

The architectural split is clear: the Radeon Pro 580 favors raw compute throughput and sustained performance, while the RTX 3050 Mobile optimizes for graphics API efficiency and modern rendering features. Users running OpenCL or Vulkan applications should expect the NVIDIA card to lead, while those relying on other compute workloads may find the AMD card more capable based on its superior average score and percentile placement.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580 averages 40,318 points, which is 7,148 points higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile's 33,170. The AMD card also ranks higher at the 82nd percentile compared to the NVIDIA card's 78th percentile.

Q: How large is the NVIDIA card's lead in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 38,457 for the Radeon Pro 580, a 23.1 percent advantage. This is the largest margin recorded in the head-to-head tests.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 580 win any direct benchmark comparison?

A: No. According to the database, the Radeon Pro 580 has zero wins in the head-to-head benchmarks. The RTX 3050 Mobile wins both recorded tests.

Q: What explains the NVIDIA card's higher average score in Vulkan?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile achieves 49,051 in Geekbench Vulkan against 43,285 for the Radeon Pro 580, an 11.8 percent difference. The NVIDIA architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, which may contribute to its stronger API performance.

Q: How do the two compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The Radeon Pro 580 offers 217.0 GB/s of bandwidth with 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 3050 Mobile provides 192.0 GB/s with 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. The AMD card has more capacity and higher bandwidth, though the NVIDIA card uses faster memory technology.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Radeon Pro 580 has 2,304 shading units, while the RTX 3050 Mobile has 2,048. The AMD card also has 144 texture mapping units compared to 64 for the NVIDIA card, though both have 32 ROPs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test provides the clearest separation between the two cards. The RTX 3050 Mobile posts 50,038 points, while the Radeon Pro 580 manages 38,457, resulting in a 23.1 percent deficit for the AMD card. This substantial gap reflects the NVIDIA card's ability to execute OpenCL workloads more efficiently, despite having fewer shading units (2,048 versus 2,304) and lower FP32 throughput (5.501 TFLOPS versus 5.530 TFLOPS). The near-identical FP32 figures make the performance difference particularly noteworthy, suggesting that factors beyond raw compute capacity, such as driver optimization or memory subsystem efficiency, play a decisive role.

The Geekbench Vulkan test narrows the margin considerably. The RTX 3050 Mobile scores 49,051, while the Radeon Pro 580 achieves 43,285, a difference of 11.8 percent. The AMD card's Vulkan performance is comparatively stronger than its OpenCL showing, yet it still trails the NVIDIA card by a meaningful margin. The RTX 3050 Mobile's support for Vulkan 1.4, one version ahead of the Radeon Pro 580's Vulkan 1.3, may explain part of this advantage, as newer API revisions often include performance optimizations for recent hardware.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Radeon Pro 580's average score of 40,318 versus the RTX 3050 Mobile's 33,170 suggests that the AMD card excels in tests not included in the direct comparison. The nearest rivals for the AMD card include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (average 40,377, a 0.1 percent advantage) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (average 40,870, a 1.4 percent advantage). For the NVIDIA card, its closest competitors are the NVIDIA T550 Mobile (33,161, essentially tied) and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 (33,207, a 0.1 percent advantage). These groupings indicate that the Radeon Pro 580 competes in a higher performance tier overall, while the RTX 3050 Mobile sits in a more modest segment.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially in their memory configurations. The Radeon Pro 580 ships with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 217.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3050 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s. The AMD card offers double the capacity and 25 GB/s more bandwidth, though the GDDR6 memory operates at a higher effective speed of 12 Gbps compared to 6.8 Gbps for the GDDR5 modules.

Clock speeds show a mixed picture. The Radeon Pro 580 runs at a 1,100 MHz base clock with a 1,200 MHz boost, while the RTX 3050 Mobile has a 1,065 MHz base and a 1,343 MHz boost. The NVIDIA card's boost clock is 143 MHz higher, which helps it achieve a pixel rate of 42.98 GPixel/s versus 38.40 GPixel/s for the AMD card. However, the Radeon Pro 580's texture rate of 172.8 GTexel/s more than doubles the RTX 3050 Mobile's 85.95 GTexel/s, a direct result of its 144 TMUs versus 64.

Power consumption differs dramatically. The Radeon Pro 580 has a TDP of 185 W, while the RTX 3050 Mobile draws only 45 W. This 140 W gap makes the NVIDIA card far more suitable for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the AMD card requires a larger thermal solution. Both use the IGP slot width with no power connectors, and both have portable-device-dependent display outputs. The bus interfaces also differ: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the AMD card and PCIe 4.0 x8 for the NVIDIA card. The Radeon Pro 580 was released on June 4, 2017, while the RTX 3050 Mobile launched on May 10, 2021, and both are now end-of-life products.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Pro 580 uses the Ellesmere chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The chip contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3050 Mobile uses the GA107 chip with Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This chip packs 8,700 million transistors into a smaller 200 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 43.5 million per square millimeter.

These architectural differences manifest in several key features. The RTX 3050 Mobile includes 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores, hardware that the Radeon Pro 580 completely lacks. This gives the NVIDIA card dedicated capabilities for ray-traced rendering and AI-accelerated workloads. The AMD card compensates with more traditional compute resources: 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, versus 2,048 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for the NVIDIA card.

API support also diverges. The Radeon Pro 580 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RTX 3050 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The newer DirectX 12 Ultimate tier includes features like mesh shaders and variable rate shading, which the older DirectX 12_0 implementation cannot access. FP16 and FP32 performance are essentially identical between the two cards, with both achieving 5.530 TFLOPS and 5.501 TFLOPS respectively, each at a 1:1 ratio.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear trade-off between two very different mobile GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile is the choice for users prioritizing graphics API performance, as it wins both head-to-head benchmarks with margins of 23.1 percent in OpenCL and 11.8 percent in Vulkan. Its 45 W TDP, support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, and dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores make it the more modern and feature-complete option for gaming and graphics-intensive applications. The 4 GB GDDR6 memory, while smaller, operates at higher effective speeds and benefits from the newer Ampere architecture.

The AMD Radeon Pro 580 appeals to a different audience: those who need maximum compute throughput and memory capacity. Its average benchmark score of 40,318 outperforms the RTX 3050 Mobile's 33,170 by a significant margin, and its 82nd percentile ranking places it four points higher. The 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 217.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 25 GB/s more than the NVIDIA card, and the 144 TMUs deliver a texture rate of 172.8 GTexel/s that is more than double the competition. These specifications suggest superior performance in compute-heavy workflows, large dataset manipulation, and texture-intensive rendering.

Users should note the trade-offs: the Radeon Pro 580 consumes 185 W, nearly four times the RTX 3050 Mobile's 45 W, which severely limits its portability and battery life. The NVIDIA card also benefits from a 2021 release date versus 2017 for the AMD card, bringing modern features like ray tracing and tensor cores to the table. For raw graphics API performance in a power-efficient package, the RTX 3050 Mobile is the clear winner. For maximum compute performance and memory capacity, accepting higher power draw, the Radeon Pro 580 remains a formidable option based on the recorded data.