AMD Radeon R9 M380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Comparison

# AMD Radeon R9 M380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580

The AMD Radeon R9 M380 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 occupy the same percentile rank (58th) among all GPUs, yet their benchmark scores tell a story of two very different design philosophies. The GTX 580, a desktop flagship from 2010, edges out the mobile-oriented R9 M380 in the single available head-to-head test, but the margins are far narrower than the generational gap might suggest. The data reveals a mobile GPU that trades blows with a legendary desktop part, albeit with significantly different architectural underpinnings.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15,283 against the AMD Radeon R9 M380’s 12,565. That represents a 17.8% deficit for the AMD part, a substantial gap in raw compute throughput. The GTX 580’s advantage is rooted in its higher FP32 performance — 1.581 TFLOPS versus 1.536 TFLOPS — and its much wider memory interface. The GTX 580’s 384-bit bus delivers 192.4 GB/s of bandwidth, exactly double the R9 M380’s 96.00 GB/s. For OpenCL workloads that are memory-bandwidth bound, this difference is decisive.

However, the R9 M380 is not without its own counterpoints. The AMD part achieves a Geekbench Metal score of 18,476, a test the GTX 580 cannot run due to its lack of modern API support. When looking at average benchmark scores across all tests, the two GPUs are remarkably close: the R9 M380 averages 15,521, while the GTX 580 averages 15,283 — a delta of just 1.6% in favor of AMD. This near-parity is striking given the GTX 580’s launch MSRP of 499 USD and its desktop-class power envelope, which the R9 M380 does not even list a TDP for.

The nearest-rival data reinforces this tight competition. The R9 M380 sits within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (15,548) and 1% of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679), while trailing the RTX 2060 (15,290) by 1.5%. The GTX 580, meanwhile, is essentially tied with the RTX 2060 (0% delta) and ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M (0.1%), RTX 3050 OEM (0.6%), and RX 7600 (0.7%). Both GPUs are clustered in a performance band where modern midrange parts and decade-old flagships converge.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the only shared benchmark test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with 15,283 points versus the AMD Radeon R9 M380’s 12,565, a 17.8% margin in NVIDIA’s favor.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The R9 M380 has a higher average benchmark score of 15,521 across all tests, compared to the GTX 580’s 15,283. This puts the AMD part 1.6% ahead in aggregate, despite losing the OpenCL head-to-head.

Q: Does the R9 M380 support modern graphics APIs that the GTX 580 lacks?

A: Yes. The R9 M380 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 580 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The R9 M380 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The GTX 580 packs 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, while the R9 M380 uses 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. The GTX 580 also has a lower transistor density at 5.8M / mm² versus 13.0M / mm² for AMD.

Q: Are both GPUs considered end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both are marked as end-of-life. The R9 M380 was released in May 2015, while the GTX 580 launched in November 2010.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is vast. The R9 M380 uses AMD’s GCN 2.0 architecture on a 28 nm TSMC process, while the GTX 580 employs NVIDIA’s Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process. The process node difference is significant: AMD’s smaller 28 nm node allows for a transistor density of 13.0M per mm², more than double the GTX 580’s 5.8M per mm². This explains how the R9 M380 fits 2,080 million transistors onto a 160 mm² die, whereas the GTX 580’s 3,000 million transistors require a massive 520 mm² die.

The shader configurations diverge sharply. The R9 M380 has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and only 16 ROPs. The GTX 580 counters with 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the GTX 580’s higher pixel rate (24.70 GPixel/s versus 16.00 GPixel/s) and slightly higher texture rate (49.41 GTexel/s versus 48.00 GTexel/s) give it advantages in fill-rate-bound workloads. The GTX 580’s FP32 output of 1.581 TFLOPS also narrowly exceeds the R9 M380’s 1.536 TFLOPS.

Memory architecture is another fundamental split. The GTX 580 uses a 384-bit memory bus with 1536 MB of GDDR5, delivering 192.4 GB/s. The R9 M380 uses a 128-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR5, halving bandwidth to 96.00 GB/s. The R9 M380’s memory clock runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 580’s runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The AMD card compensates for lower bandwidth with double the capacity, a trade-off that favors modern workloads with larger datasets. The GTX 580’s power draw is listed at 244 W with a suggested 550 W PSU, whereas the R9 M380 has no TDP or power connector data listed, reflecting its mobile-oriented design.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The R9 M380 uses a 28 nm process versus the GTX 580’s 40 nm. The AMD chip (Strato) packs 2,080 million transistors on 160 mm², while the NVIDIA chip (GF110) uses 3,000 million on 520 mm². Transistor density favors AMD: 13.0M / mm² versus 5.8M / mm².

Memory capacity and bus width differ: the R9 M380 has 4 GB on a 128-bit bus, the GTX 580 has 1536 MB on a 384-bit bus. Bandwidth is 96.00 GB/s versus 192.4 GB/s. The R9 M380 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs; the GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Pixel rates are 16.00 GPixel/s versus 24.70 GPixel/s. Texture rates are close: 48.00 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s. FP32 is 1.536 TFLOPS versus 1.581 TFLOPS.

The GTX 580 has a listed TDP of 244 W, a dual-slot form factor, 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 550 W. Its dimensions are 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The R9 M380 has none of these fields populated. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x16 for AMD versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for NVIDIA. Display outputs exist only for the GTX 580: 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. API support favors AMD with Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 580 maxes at DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan. Release dates are May 2015 for AMD and November 2010 for NVIDIA.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. The GTX 580 wins the only direct benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 17.8%. Its memory bandwidth advantage is overwhelming, and its fill rates are superior. For users running OpenCL compute tasks that stress memory throughput, the GTX 580 is the clear choice.

However, the R9 M380 counters with a higher average benchmark score (15,521 versus 15,283), a 1.6% aggregate lead, plus a Metal benchmark score of 18,476 that the GTX 580 cannot match due to API limitations. The AMD card also offers 4 GB of memory versus 1536 MB, modern API support including Vulkan, and a significantly more power-efficient 28 nm process. The GTX 580’s 244 W TDP and dual-slot cooler design make it a power-hungry desktop component, while the R9 M380’s lack of TDP data suggests a far more mobile-friendly footprint.

The nearest-rival analysis shows both GPUs sitting in the same performance tier. The R9 M380 is within 0.2% of the GTX 1080 Ti, while the GTX 580 is effectively tied with the RTX 2060. Neither card is a clear winner; they are two solutions to the same performance level achieved through radically different means. The GTX 580 brute-forces performance with a massive die, wide bus, and high power draw. The R9 M380 achieves comparable average scores through architectural efficiency and modern process technology.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon R9 M380 wins in aggregate benchmark performance, with a higher average score of 15,521 versus 15,283. It dominates in memory capacity (4 GB versus 1536 MB), which benefits modern games and applications with large texture datasets. The R9 M380 supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), enabling compatibility with current software that the GTX 580 cannot run. Its Metal score of 18,476 demonstrates strong performance in Apple ecosystem workloads. The smaller 28 nm process and 160 mm² die suggest superior power efficiency, and the PCIe 3.0 x16 interface offers double the bandwidth of the GTX 580’s PCIe 2.0 x16. The R9 M380 also has a higher transistor density (13.0M / mm²), indicating a more modern design.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins decisively in the OpenCL head-to-head, scoring 15,283 against 12,565 — a 17.8% advantage. It offers more than double the memory bandwidth (192.4 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s), which is critical for compute tasks and high-resolution textures. The GTX 580’s 384-bit bus, 48 ROPs, and 24.70 GPixel/s pixel rate give it strong fill-rate performance. Its 1.581 TFLOPS FP32 output edges out the R9 M380’s 1.536 TFLOPS. The 244 W TDP and dual-slot design, while power-hungry, indicate a desktop part built for sustained performance. With a launch MSRP of 499 USD, the GTX 580 was positioned as a premium product, and its longevity in benchmark clusters alongside modern midrange cards speaks to its original performance headroom. For users prioritizing raw OpenCL compute speed or working within the NVIDIA ecosystem, the GTX 580 remains viable.