AMD Radeon R9 M290X vs Intel Arc B580 Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data available for direct comparison between the AMD Radeon R9 M290X and the Intel Arc B580 is limited to a single shared benchmark test: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the Intel Arc B580 scores 92,821, while the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 22,028. This represents a deltaPct of -76.3% for the AMD part, meaning the Intel card outperforms the older AMD mobile GPU by a substantial margin in raw compute throughput.

The magnitude of this gap is striking. The Arc B580 delivers more than four times the OpenCL score of the R9 M290X. When placed in context, the AMD Radeon R9 M290X has an average benchmark score of 23,276 across all its tested workloads, while the Intel Arc B580 averages 23,021. Despite the massive OpenCL disparity, both cards sit at the 68th percentile among all GPUs in the database, indicating that their aggregate performance profiles land in a similar tier when considering all benchmark types.

However, the Intel Arc B580's benchmark suite is far more extensive. It includes 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (3,068), Passmark DirectX 9 (183), DirectX 10 (76), DirectX 11 (128), DirectX 12 (76), G2D (709), G3D (15,748), and GPU Compute (7,729), plus Geekbench Vulkan (109,672) and OpenCL (92,821). The AMD Radeon R9 M290X only has Geekbench Metal (24,524) and OpenCL (22,028) results on record. This means the comparison is inherently lopsided—the Intel card has been tested across more modern APIs and workloads, while the AMD part's data reflects its era.

The nearest rivals for each card further contextualize their standings. The R9 M290X sits within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23,273), 0.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (23,250), 0.1% of the NVIDIA P106-100 (23,249), and -0.2% of the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 (23,315). The Arc B580, meanwhile, is -0.2% from the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23,061), 0.6% from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22,895), -0.7% from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23,172), and -1% from the NVIDIA P106-100 (23,249). These rival clusters show both cards performing in a similar aggregate band, despite the enormous single-test delta.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc B580 wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, taking Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 92,821 versus 22,028 for the AMD Radeon R9 M290X. The win count stands at 1 for Intel and 0 for AMD across directly comparable tests.

Beyond that single comparison, the Arc B580 demonstrates strengths across a wider array of modern workloads. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,068 indicates capability in current DirectX 12 gaming scenarios. The Passmark G3D score of 15,748 points to strong general 3D rendering performance, while the GPU Compute score of 7,729 shows solid non-graphics compute throughput. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 109,672 exceeds even its OpenCL result, suggesting particular strength in Vulkan-based applications.

The AMD Radeon R9 M290X, by contrast, shows its best recorded result in Geekbench Metal at 24,524, slightly higher than its OpenCL score of 22,028. This suggests the GCN 1.0 architecture handles Apple's Metal API reasonably well for its era, but the absolute numbers are dwarfed by the Intel card's modern results.

For users prioritizing legacy API compatibility, the R9 M290X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Arc B580 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Intel card also features hardware ray tracing with 20 RT cores, a capability entirely absent from the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X uses the Neptune chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm². The Intel Arc B580 uses the BMG-G21 chip based on Xe2-HPG architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 5 nm process. It packs 19,600 million transistors into a 272 mm² die, achieving a density of 72.1 million per mm²—more than five times the density of the older AMD chip.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The R9 M290X has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation pipelines. The Arc B580 doubles or more than doubles these figures: 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The Intel card also adds 20 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature class that did not exist in the AMD part's architecture.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The AMD GPU runs at a base of 850 MHz with a 900 MHz boost. The Intel card operates at a flat 2,670 MHz for both base and boost. This clock advantage, combined with higher shader counts, produces an FP32 throughput of 13.67 TFLOPS for the Arc B580 versus 2.304 TFLOPS for the R9 M290X. The Intel card also supports FP16 at 27.34 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the AMD part has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory configurations are equally divergent. The R9 M290X uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth at 1,200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective). The Arc B580 features 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, achieving 456.0 GB/s at 2,375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Despite the narrower bus, the Intel card's faster memory and larger capacity triple the bandwidth and triple the VRAM.

Power and physical characteristics also differ substantially. The AMD part draws 100 W TDP and comes as an MXM module with no power connectors and no suggested PSU, reflecting its laptop-oriented design. The Intel card has a 190 W TDP, uses a dual-slot form factor with a single 8-pin power connector, and recommends a 450 W power supply. The Arc B580 measures 272 mm in length, 115 mm in height, and 45 mm in width. The R9 M290X has no recorded dimensions.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M290X averages 23,276 across its tested workloads, while the Intel Arc B580 averages 23,021. The AMD card is marginally ahead by 255 points.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Arc B580 in OpenCL?

A: The Arc B580 scores 92,821 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 22,028 for the R9 M290X, a deltaPct of -76.3% from the AMD card's perspective.

Q: Do both GPUs sit at the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon R9 M290X and the Intel Arc B580 are at the 68th percentile among all GPUs in the database.

Q: What memory configurations do these cards use?

A: The R9 M290X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B580 support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Arc B580 includes 20 dedicated ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Arc B580?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has a launch MSRP of 249 USD. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X has no recorded launch MSRP.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture: the Intel Arc B580 is the superior GPU in almost every measurable way, with the sole direct comparison showing a 76.3% advantage in OpenCL performance. Its architecture is five generations newer, built on a 5 nm process versus 28 nm, with more than double the shading units, double the texture units, and more than double the raster operations. Memory capacity triples from 4 GB to 12 GB, bandwidth nearly triples from 153.6 GB/s to 456.0 GB/s, and raw FP32 throughput jumps from 2.304 TFLOPS to 13.67 TFLOPS.

The AMD Radeon R9 M290X should only be considered by users constrained to its MXM module form factor or those requiring compatibility with systems from its 2014 era. Its Geekbench Metal score of 24,524 shows it remains functional for older Apple-centric workloads, and its 68th percentile ranking indicates it still outperforms a majority of GPUs in the database. However, its end-of-life production status and lack of modern features—no ray tracing, no FP16 support, older API versions—make it a legacy part.

For any new build or upgrade, the Intel Arc B580 is the clear choice from the data. It is an active product with current driver support, broader benchmark coverage, and superior performance across every comparable metric. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 3080, placing it in respectable company despite its lower-tier positioning. The 190 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are reasonable demands for the performance level delivered.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon R9 M290X | Intel Arc B580 |

|-------|---------------------|----------------|

| Chip | Neptune | BMG-G21 |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Xe2-HPG |

| Generation | Gem System (R9 M200) | Battlemage (Arc 5) |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 2,800 million | 19,600 million |

| Die Size | 212 mm² | 272 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.2M / mm² | 72.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 850 MHz | 2670 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 900 MHz | 2670 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) | 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 153.6 GB/s | 456.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1280 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 80 | 160 |

| ROPs | 32 | 80 |

| RT Cores | None | 20 |

| Pixel Rate | 28.80 GPixel/s | 213.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 72.00 GTexel/s | 427.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.304 TFLOPS | 13.67 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | None | 27.34 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 100 W | 190 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2014-01-08 | 2024-12-12 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | Alchemist |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | None |