AMD Radeon RX 480 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a split decision between these two end-of-life graphics cards. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A takes the win with a score of 39780 against the AMD Radeon RX 480's 37998. That is a 4.7% lead for NVIDIA, a modest but clear margin in compute-heavy workloads that favor the newer architecture's scheduling and shader efficiency.

The Geekbench Vulkan test flips the script entirely. The AMD Radeon RX 480 scores 45968, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A manages only 37601. This is an 18.2% deficit for NVIDIA, meaning AMD's card is significantly faster in this API. The delta is large enough that it is not a near-run thing; the RX 480 pulls ahead by a wide margin in Vulkan-based applications and games.

Looking at the broader database averages, the NVIDIA card holds a higher average benchmark score of 38691, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The AMD card's average benchmark score is 33997, putting it in the 78th percentile. Interestingly, the head-to-head Vulkan result does not fully translate into the overall average, likely because the OpenCL result is weighted differently across the full benchmark suite. The NVIDIA card's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580X at 38706 (0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile at 38349 (0.9% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 at 38299 (1% delta). The AMD card's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB at 34154 (-0.5% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT at 34133 (-0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S at 33849 (0.4% delta).

The data indicates a fundamental trade-off. If your workload is OpenCL-centric, the MX570 A is the better pick by a small margin. If Vulkan is your primary API, the RX 480 is the clear winner by a large margin. There is no overall victor here; the two cards win one benchmark each, and the choice depends entirely on the software environment.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the decision is straightforward for two distinct user profiles. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A is the card for users who prioritize OpenCL compute tasks and need a low-power, integrated form factor. Its 25 W TDP and IGP slot width make it suitable for compact or portable systems where space and thermals are constrained. The data shows it edges out the RX 480 in OpenCL by 4.7%, and its 81st percentile ranking versus the RX 480's 78th indicates a slightly better overall standing in the database.

The AMD Radeon RX 480 is the card for users who need Vulkan performance above all else. Its 18.2% lead in that benchmark is decisive, and its 8 GB memory capacity is double that of the MX570 A, which matters for texture-heavy workloads. The RX 480 also has a higher FP32 throughput at 5.834 TFLOPS versus 4.731 TFLOPS, and a significantly higher texture rate at 182.3 GTexel/s versus 73.92 GTexel/s. If you are building a system around Vulkan-based games or applications, the RX 480 is the data-backed choice.

There is no universal recommendation. The MX570 A wins on efficiency and OpenCL, while the RX 480 wins on raw Vulkan performance and memory capacity. Choose based on your primary API, not on brand loyalty.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A is built on the Ampere architecture, using the GA107SB chip. It is fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung, with a die size of 200 mm² and 8,700 million transistors. This results in a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm², a figure that reflects the modern manufacturing node. The architecture includes 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores, features that are absent from the AMD card. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, placing it at the forefront of API compatibility for its time.

The AMD Radeon RX 480 uses the GCN 4.0 architecture, built around the Ellesmere chip. It is fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with a die size of 232 mm² and 5,700 million transistors. This yields a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm², significantly lower than the NVIDIA part due to the older node. The architecture has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, reflecting its 2016-era design. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, which is one minor revision behind the NVIDIA card's 1.4.

The architectural gap explains the benchmark results. The MX570 A's newer node and dedicated tensor cores likely contribute to its OpenCL efficiency, while the RX 480's larger shader count and higher clock speeds drive its Vulkan performance. The RX 480 has 2304 shading units against the MX570 A's 2048, and 144 texture mapping units against 64. These raw resource differences are substantial, even though the NVIDIA card compensates with a higher transistor density and newer feature set.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets differ on nearly every major field. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A has a base clock of 832 MHz and a boost clock of 1155 MHz, while the AMD Radeon RX 480 runs at 1120 MHz base and 1266 MHz boost. The memory subsystems are radically different: the MX570 A has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s, while the RX 480 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The RX 480's memory bandwidth is over 2.6 times higher, a critical factor in high-resolution textures and compute workloads.

The compute resources also differ. The MX570 A has 2048 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 36.96 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 73.92 GTexel/s. The RX 480 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 40.51 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 182.3 GTexel/s. The RX 480's texture rate is nearly 2.5 times higher, and its FP32 throughput of 5.834 TFLOPS beats the MX570 A's 4.731 TFLOPS. Both cards list FP16 at 1:1 ratio with FP32.

Power and form factor differences are stark. The MX570 A has a TDP of 25 W, is an IGP slot width, and requires no power connectors. The RX 480 has a TDP of 150 W, is a dual-slot card, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and suggests a 450 W power supply. The MX570 A uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the RX 480 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the MX570 A's outputs are portable device dependent, while the RX 480 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 480's physical dimensions are 240 mm in length, 95 mm in height, and 35 mm in width.

The release dates are far apart. The MX570 A launched on December 16, 2021, while the RX 480 launched on June 28, 2016. The RX 480's launch MSRP was 229 USD. The RX 480's predecessor is listed as Pirate Islands, and its successor as Polaris, while the MX570 A has no listed predecessor or successor.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A is faster, scoring 39780 against the AMD Radeon RX 480's 37998, a 4.7% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: Which card wins in Vulkan performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 480 wins decisively, scoring 45968 against the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A's 37601, an 18.2% advantage in the Geekbench Vulkan test.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 480 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A has 2 GB of GDDR6 memory. The RX 480 also has a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus the MX570 A's 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A has a 25 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the AMD Radeon RX 480 has a 150 W TDP and requires a single 6-pin power connector. The RX 480 also suggests a 450 W power supply.

Q: Do both cards support ray tracing?

A: No. The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A includes 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores, while the AMD Radeon RX 480 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The MX570 A supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 480 supports DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: Which card has a higher overall benchmark percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 480 is in the 78th percentile. The MX570 A's average benchmark score is 38691, compared to the RX 480's 33997.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A wins in scenarios that favor efficiency and modern API features. Its 25 W TDP makes it suitable for systems with tight power budgets, such as thin-and-light laptops or small form factor builds where the RX 480's 150 W TDP would be prohibitive. The OpenCL benchmark win indicates it handles compute tasks well, and its 8 nm process node with 43.5M transistors per mm² suggests better thermal behavior. The inclusion of 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores means it can accelerate workloads that use these features, which the RX 480 cannot do. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are ahead of the RX 480's DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, making it the better choice for software that leverages the latest graphics features.

The AMD Radeon RX 480 wins in scenarios that demand raw throughput and memory capacity. Its 18.2% Vulkan lead is the standout result, making it the clear pick for Vulkan-based games and applications. The 8 GB memory capacity is four times that of the MX570 A, which is critical for modern game textures and large datasets. The RX 480's higher texture rate of 182.3 GTexel/s and FP32 performance of 5.834 TFLOPS indicate it can handle heavy shading and compute loads without bottlenecking. Its 256-bit memory bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is a massive advantage over the MX570 A's 64-bit bus, particularly in memory-bound scenarios. The RX 480 is also a dual-slot card with a standard PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, making it a straightforward drop-in for desktop systems with adequate power supplies.

The practical split is clear. If your system is portable, power-constrained, or uses OpenCL and newer DirectX features, the MX570 A is the data-backed choice. If your system is a desktop with a 450 W or better power supply, and your workloads are Vulkan-heavy or memory-hungry, the RX 480 is the superior performer. The recorded data does not support a single winner; it supports a deliberate choice based on your specific use case.