AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP Comparison

The benchmark data clearly establishes the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT as the superior performer in every direct comparison. Across all three shared tests, the RX 5600 XT delivers decisive victories, with the RX 580 2048SP trailing by margins ranging from roughly one-third to more than half. These results highlight a generational leap in raw capability, even though both cards are now end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RX 5600 XT wins all three head-to-head matchups, leaving the RX 580 2048SP with zero victories. The most significant gap appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the RX 5600 XT scores 68,537 against the RX 580 2048SP’s 29,668. This represents a 56.7% advantage for the newer card, a massive gulf that underscores the architectural efficiency gains of RDNA 1.0 over GCN 4.0 in compute-heavy workloads.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RX 5600 XT scores 1,669 points, nearly double the 849 points of the RX 580 2048SP. The delta here is 49.1%, indicating that the RX 5600 XT is roughly twice as fast in this modern DirectX 12 gaming scenario. This is the clearest indicator of real-world gaming performance, and the result is unambiguous: the RX 5600 XT is in a different performance class.

The Vulkan benchmark shows a narrower, though still substantial, gap. The RX 5600 XT achieves 56,218 points, while the RX 580 2048SP manages 38,666. The 31.2% delta in favor of the RX 5600 XT demonstrates that even in API-level tests where the older card is relatively strong, the newer architecture still holds a commanding lead. The RX 580 2048SP’s best showing is in Vulkan, but it still cannot close the gap to a competitive margin.

These head-to-head results align with the average benchmark scores in the database. The RX 580 2048SP posts an average score of 23,061, which places it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 5600 XT, despite winning every direct comparison, has a lower average score of 20,713 and sits in the 66th percentile. This discrepancy exists because the RX 580 2048SP’s average is buoyed by a broader set of tests, while the RX 5600 XT’s average includes a wider range of DX9, DX10, DX11, and compute workloads where its performance profile differs. The direct comparison, however, is unambiguous: in shared tests, the RX 5600 XT is far ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct architectural generations from AMD. The RX 580 2048SP is built on the Polaris 20 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. In contrast, the RX 5600 XT uses the Navi 10 chip with the RDNA 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. This process shrink is fundamental: the RX 5600 XT packs 10,300 million transistors into a 251 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 41.0 million per mm². The RX 580 2048SP contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, for a density of 24.6 million per mm². The RX 5600 XT thus crams nearly double the transistors into a similar physical area.

The memory subsystems are also generational. The RX 580 2048SP uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 5600 XT moves to 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yet achieves higher bandwidth at 288.0 GB/s. The newer memory technology allows the RX 5600 XT to overcome its narrower bus width, resulting in a 28.6% bandwidth advantage. Effective memory speed tells the same story: the RX 580 2048SP runs at 7 Gbps effective, while the RX 5600 XT operates at 12 Gbps effective.

Compute resources differ substantially. The RX 5600 XT has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RX 580 2048SP has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The ROP count is particularly telling: the RX 5600 XT has exactly double the ROPs, which directly explains its massive pixel rate advantage. The RX 5600 XT achieves 99.84 GPixel/s, while the RX 580 2048SP manages 41.09 GPixel/s. Texture rate also favors the newer card: 224.6 GTexel/s versus 164.4 GTexel/s.

Clock speeds show a different strategy. The RX 580 2048SP has a higher base clock at 1168 MHz, but a lower boost clock at 1284 MHz. The RX 5600 XT starts lower at 1130 MHz base, but boosts to 1560 MHz, with a game clock rated at 1375 MHz. This higher boost ceiling, combined with the architectural efficiency of RDNA, produces a significant FP32 throughput advantage: 7.188 TFLOPS for the RX 5600 XT versus 5.259 TFLOPS for the RX 580 2048SP. The RX 5600 XT also supports FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, reaching 14.38 TFLOPS, while the RX 580 2048SP is limited to 1:1 FP16 at 5.259 TFLOPS.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 5600 XT wins every category where data exists. In gaming, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result shows a 49.1% advantage, making it the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 titles. The Vulkan test, with a 31.2% lead, confirms that the RX 5600 XT also excels in Vulkan-based games and applications. For compute workloads, the OpenCL score of 68,537 versus 29,668 is a decisive 56.7% margin, indicating that the RX 5600 XT is far better suited for GPU-accelerated tasks like rendering or machine learning inference.

The RX 580 2048SP does not win any direct benchmark. Its only relative strength is that its average benchmark score of 23,061 is higher than the RX 5600 XT’s 20,713, and it sits at a higher percentile rank (68th versus 66th). This suggests that in a broader suite of legacy tests, including DX9, DX10, DX11, and 2D workloads, the RX 580 2048SP posts competitive or superior numbers. The RX 5600 XT’s PassMark scores show mixed results: it scores 202 in DX9, 73 in DX10, 96 in DX11, and 52 in DX12, with a G3D score of 13,457 and a compute score of 6,296. These figures are not directly comparable to the RX 580 2048SP, as the latter lacks PassMark entries in the database, but the percentile difference suggests the older card is more consistent across legacy APIs.

For users running older software or DirectX 9/10/11 titles, the RX 580 2048SP may offer a smoother experience based on its higher overall average score. However, for anyone prioritizing modern gaming, Vulkan, or compute performance, the RX 5600 XT is the unequivocal winner. The data shows no scenario in the direct comparisons where the RX 580 2048SP takes the lead.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The process node is 14 nm for the RX 580 2048SP versus 7 nm for the RX 5600 XT. Transistor count is 5,700 million versus 10,300 million, with die sizes of 232 mm² and 251 mm² respectively. Memory capacity is 4 GB GDDR5 versus 6 GB GDDR6, with bus widths of 256-bit and 192-bit. Bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 288.0 GB/s. Shading units are 2,048 versus 2,304, TMUs are 128 versus 144, and ROPs are 32 versus 64.

Clock speeds differ, with the RX 580 2048SP running at 1168 MHz base and 1284 MHz boost, while the RX 5600 XT runs at 1130 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost, with a game clock of 1375 MHz. Memory speed is 7 Gbps effective versus 12 Gbps effective. Pixel rate is 41.09 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 164.4 GTexel/s versus 224.6 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 5.259 TFLOPS versus 7.188 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 5.259 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 14.38 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power consumption is identical at 150 W TDP, with the same dual-slot design, 1x 8-pin power connector, and 450 W suggested PSU. Both cards have the same display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, though the RX 580 2048SP adds a DVI port. The bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the RX 580 2048SP versus PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RX 5600 XT. API support shows the RX 5600 XT ahead with DirectX 12_1 versus 12_0, and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3. Physical length differs: 241 mm for the older card versus 267 mm for the newer one. The RX 5600 XT has a launch MSRP of 279 USD.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in DirectX 12 gaming?

A: The RX 5600 XT is substantially faster. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1,669 points versus 849 for the RX 580 2048SP, a 49.1% advantage.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RX 5600 XT leads by 31.2% in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 56,218 against the RX 580 2048SP’s 38,666.

Q: Is the RX 5600 XT better for compute workloads?

A: Yes. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 5600 XT scores 68,537, which is 56.7% higher than the RX 580 2048SP’s 29,668.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RX 5600 XT has 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The RX 580 2048SP has 224.0 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Do the two cards consume the same power?

A: Yes, both have a 150 W TDP and require a 450 W suggested PSU, with a dual-slot design and a single 8-pin power connector.

Q: Which card supports newer PCIe and API standards?

A: The RX 5600 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x16, DirectX 12_1, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 580 2048SP is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16, DirectX 12_0, and Vulkan 1.3.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is the superior graphics card in every direct benchmark. It wins all three head-to-head tests by margins between 31.2% and 56.7%, with the largest gap in OpenCL compute and the smallest in Vulkan. The 7 nm RDNA architecture delivers higher clock speeds, double the ROPs, and significantly more memory bandwidth, resulting in roughly 37% higher FP32 throughput (7.188 TFLOPS versus 5.259 TFLOPS).

The RX 580 2048SP is not without merit. Its higher average benchmark score of 23,061 and 68th percentile ranking suggest strong performance in legacy workloads and a broader range of tests. It also offers a DVI output, which the RX 5600 XT lacks, and a shorter physical length of 241 mm versus 267 mm. For users with older displays or limited case space, these factors could matter.

However, for anyone building a system for modern gaming, the RX 5600 XT is the clear choice. Its 49.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 31.2% lead in Vulkan indicate that it will handle current and upcoming titles with far greater ease. The compute advantage further solidifies its position for productivity tasks. The RX 580 2048SP should be considered only if legacy software compatibility or the DVI port is a hard requirement, as the performance gap in all shared tests is too large to ignore. The RX 5600 XT is the definitive winner based on the recorded measurements.