AMD Radeon Pro 580X vs NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear split in suitability. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB is the stronger compute performer in the one directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 66,998 against the AMD Radeon Pro 580X’s 36,426, a 45.6% advantage. That delta is significant enough that any workload relying on OpenCL compute should favor the NVIDIA card.

However, the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is not without its own argument. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 38,706, which places it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, higher than the RTX A2000’s 79th percentile. The AMD card’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38,691), the RTX 5080 Mobile (38,349), and the MX570 (38,299), all within a 1.1% delta. The RTX A2000, by contrast, sits near the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34,133), the RTX A1000 (34,207), and the RX 480 (33,997), with deltas under 0.6%. So on aggregate scoring, the AMD part is slightly ahead in percentile rank, but the NVIDIA part wins the only head-to-head test both share.

For a buyer choosing strictly from the data: the RTX A2000 12 GB is the pick if OpenCL compute throughput is the priority. The Radeon Pro 580X is the pick if the broader benchmark profile and higher percentile ranking matter more, or if the platform requires an integrated form factor with Apple MPX bus compatibility. The RTX A2000 also offers 12 GB of memory versus 8 GB, but the AMD card has a higher texture rate and a larger transistor density advantage per square millimeter is not directly comparable. Ultimately, the choice hinges on whether the single OpenCL test or the aggregate percentile is the more meaningful metric for the intended workload.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB wins decisively, scoring 66,998 versus the AMD Radeon Pro 580X’s 36,426, a delta of 45.6% in NVIDIA’s favor.

Q: How do the two cards compare in overall benchmark percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X sits in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB sits in the 79th percentile. The AMD card’s average benchmark score is 38,706, and the NVIDIA card’s is 34,154.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card according to the database?

A: For the AMD Radeon Pro 580X, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38,691), the RTX 5080 Mobile (38,349), and the MX570 (38,299). For the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34,133), the RTX A1000 (34,207), and the RX 480 (33,997).

Q: Which card has more memory and what type?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The NVIDIA card’s bandwidth is 288.0 GB/s versus 218.9 GB/s for the AMD card.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the NVIDIA card supports Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.3 for the AMD card.

Q: What is the form factor difference?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is an integrated GPU (IGP) with an Apple MPX bus interface, while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB is a dual-slot card with a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations, which explains most of the performance divergence. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X uses the Ellesmere chip based on GCN 4.0, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB uses the GA106 chip based on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung.

Transistor counts differ sharply: the AMD chip packs 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, while the NVIDIA chip has 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die. That yields a higher transistor density for the NVIDIA part at 43.5M per mm² versus 24.6M per mm² for the AMD chip.

Feature support is a major separator. The RTX A2000 includes 26 ray tracing cores and 104 tensor cores, which the Radeon Pro 580X lacks entirely. The NVIDIA card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the API feature set is more modern on the NVIDIA side.

The memory subsystems differ in type and width. The AMD card uses GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, while the NVIDIA card uses GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. Despite the narrower bus, the NVIDIA card achieves higher bandwidth due to faster memory clocks. The AMD card has a higher texture rate at 172.8 GTexel/s versus 124.8 GTexel/s, but the NVIDIA card has a higher pixel rate at 57.60 GPixel/s versus 38.40 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every core specification. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB has 3,328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, plus 26 RT cores and 104 tensor cores.

Clock speeds are notable: the AMD card has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost of 1200 MHz, while the NVIDIA card has a base of 562 MHz and the same 1200 MHz boost. Memory clocks differ as well: the AMD card runs at 1710 MHz (6.8 Gbps effective), and the NVIDIA card at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective).

Compute throughput favors the NVIDIA card in raw FP32, which is rated at 7.987 TFLOPS versus 5.530 TFLOPS for the AMD card. Both cards have a 1:1 FP16 ratio, so the FP16 figures match their FP32 values.

Power and form factor are major differences. The AMD card has a TDP of 185 W and is an integrated GPU (IGP) with an Apple MPX bus interface, while the NVIDIA card has a TDP of 70 W, is a dual-slot card with no power connectors, and suggests a 250 W PSU. The NVIDIA card is 167 mm long and 69 mm tall.

Display outputs differ: the AMD card has 2x HDMI 2.0b, while the NVIDIA card has 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a. The NVIDIA card’s production status is end-of-life, as is the AMD card’s, but the NVIDIA card’s release date is later (November 2021 versus March 2019) and it has a predecessor (Quadro Turing) and successor (Workstation Ada) listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one shared benchmark between the two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB scores 66,998, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 36,426. The delta is 45.6% in favor of the NVIDIA card, which is a substantial margin.

The AMD card does have additional benchmark scores not shared with the NVIDIA card: Geekbench Metal at 39,577 and Geekbench Vulkan at 40,115. The NVIDIA card has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,309. These cannot be directly compared across vendors, but they contribute to the average benchmark scores.

Looking at the aggregate data, the AMD card’s average benchmark score is 38,706, which puts it at the 82nd percentile. The NVIDIA card’s average is 34,154, at the 79th percentile. The AMD card’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, scores 38,691 with a 0% delta, meaning the AMD card is essentially tied with that GPU. The NVIDIA card’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT, scores 34,133 with a 0.1% delta, also essentially tied.

The key takeaway from the head-to-head data is that the NVIDIA card wins the only directly comparable test, but the AMD card holds a higher aggregate percentile. The OpenCL gap is large enough to suggest a real compute advantage for the NVIDIA card, while the percentile difference suggests the AMD card performs better across a broader set of workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB wins in raw compute performance in the shared OpenCL benchmark, and it also leads in memory capacity (12 GB versus 8 GB) and bandwidth (288.0 GB/s versus 218.9 GB/s). It has higher FP32 throughput (7.987 TFLOPS versus 5.530 TFLOPS), a higher pixel rate, and includes ray tracing and tensor cores, which the AMD card lacks. Its lower TDP of 70 W versus 185 W makes it a more power-efficient option, and its PCIe 4.0 x16 interface is more universal than the Apple MPX bus.

The AMD Radeon Pro 580X wins in aggregate benchmark percentile, sitting at the 82nd percentile versus the NVIDIA card’s 79th. It also has a higher texture rate (172.8 GTexel/s versus 124.8 GTexel/s) and a wider memory bus (256-bit versus 192-bit). Its integrated form factor and Apple MPX bus interface make it the only choice for systems that require that specific connection. Its nearest rivals are all within a 1.1% delta, indicating it sits in a tightly competitive performance band.

For use cases: the RTX A2000 is the better pick for OpenCL-heavy compute tasks, ray tracing workloads, and any scenario where 12 GB of memory is necessary. Its dual-slot form factor and PCIe interface also make it more flexible for standard workstation builds. The Radeon Pro 580X is the better pick for macOS-centric systems that require the Apple MPX interface, and for users who value a higher overall percentile ranking across the full benchmark suite. Its higher texture rate could benefit texture-bound workloads, but the single shared benchmark does not confirm that advantage in practice.