AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT vs Intel Arc B580 Comparison

Intel Arc B580 decisively outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT in nearly every recorded benchmark, winning 8 of 10 head-to-head tests. The largest gaps appear in modern API workloads, where the Arc B580 leads by 83.8% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 95.1% in Geekbench Vulkan. The RX 5600 XT manages only two wins, both in legacy or 2D-oriented tests, leaving it clearly behind for current-generation gaming and compute tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the starkest divide. Intel Arc B580 scores 3068, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 1669, a delta of 83.8%. This is not a marginal improvement; it is nearly double the performance in a modern DirectX 12 workload. The Arc B580 also dominates Geekbench Vulkan with a score of 109672 versus 56218, a 95.1% advantage. These two results alone establish the Arc B580 as the stronger card for contemporary graphics APIs.

Compute performance follows the same pattern. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc B580 posts 92821 against 68537, a 35.4% lead. Passmark GPU Compute shows 7729 versus 6296, a 22.8% advantage for Intel. The Arc B580 also wins Passmark G3D with 15748 versus 13457, a 17% margin. DirectX 11 and 12 tests favor Intel as well: Passmark DirectX 11 scores 128 versus 96 (33.3% lead), and Passmark DirectX 12 scores 76 versus 52 (46.2% lead). Even the narrowest win, Passmark DirectX 10 at 76 versus 73, goes to the Arc B580 with a 4.1% edge.

The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT takes two tests. Passmark DirectX 9 shows 202 versus 183, a 9.4% win for AMD. Passmark G2D shows 870 versus 709, an 18.5% advantage. Both are legacy or 2D-centric workloads, not representative of modern gaming demands. Outside those two categories, the Arc B580 leads by margins ranging from 4.1% to 95.1%.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc B580 wins across the board in modern API and compute benchmarks. Its 83.8% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 95.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan make it the clear choice for DirectX 12 and Vulkan gaming. The 35.4% OpenCL advantage and 22.8% Passmark GPU Compute lead indicate stronger general-purpose compute performance. Passmark G3D, a broad gaming-oriented metric, also favors Intel by 17%. For users running current games, DX12 titles, Vulkan applications, or GPU compute workloads, the data points squarely at the Arc B580.

The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT wins only in Passmark DirectX 9 and Passmark G2D. The DirectX 9 result (202 versus 183) suggests slightly better compatibility or optimization for older titles running on that API. The G2D score (870 versus 709) indicates stronger 2D desktop or image-processing performance. These are narrow use cases: legacy DirectX 9 games and 2D workloads. For anything else in the recorded data, the Arc B580 takes the lead.

The Verdict

Based strictly on benchmark results, the Intel Arc B580 is the superior product. It wins 8 of 10 head-to-head tests, including all modern API and compute benchmarks. The margins are substantial: 83.8% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 95.1% in Geekbench Vulkan, 35.4% in Geekbench OpenCL, and 22.8% in Passmark GPU Compute. The average benchmark score reflects this, with the Arc B580 at 23021 versus 20713 for the RX 5600 XT. The percentile ranking also favors Intel, sitting at 68 versus 66 for AMD.

The RX 5600 XT is not without merit. It wins Passmark DirectX 9 by 9.4% and Passmark G2D by 18.5%, making it a better option for users who prioritize legacy DirectX 9 titles or 2D desktop performance. Its production status is end-of-life, while the Arc B580 remains active. The Arc B580 also carries a newer architecture, Xe2-HPG versus RDNA 1.0, and a larger memory pool. For gamers targeting current titles and APIs, the Arc B580 is the clear pick. For those locked into older DirectX 9 software, the RX 5600 XT holds a narrow edge.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The Intel Arc B580 wins by a wide margin. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3068 versus 1669, a delta of 83.8%. Passmark DirectX 12 also favors Intel at 76 versus 52, a 46.2% lead.

Q: How do the two compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The Intel Arc B580 leads decisively. Geekbench Vulkan scores are 109672 for Intel versus 56218 for AMD, a 95.1% advantage.

Q: Are there any tests where the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT wins?

A: Yes, two. Passmark DirectX 9 goes to AMD at 202 versus 183, a 9.4% win. Passmark G2D goes to AMD at 870 versus 709, an 18.5% win.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT averages 20713.

Q: How does the memory configuration differ?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 456.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has better compute performance?

A: The Intel Arc B580. Geekbench OpenCL shows 92821 versus 68537, a 35.4% lead. Passmark GPU Compute shows 7729 versus 6296, a 22.8% lead.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The Intel Arc B580 uses the Xe2-HPG architecture built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with the BMG-G21 chip. It packs 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 72.1 million per mm². The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT uses the older RDNA 1.0 architecture on a 7 nm process, also at TSMC, with the Navi 10 chip. It contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, for a density of 41.0 million per mm². The Arc B580 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, plus 20 dedicated ray tracing cores. The RX 5600 XT has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores listed. Intel also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while AMD lists DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The Arc B580 has a higher pixel rate at 213.6 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate at 427.2 GTexel/s versus 224.6 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 13.67 TFLOPS for Intel versus 7.188 TFLOPS for AMD.

Specification Differences

The Intel Arc B580 and AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT differ across nearly every major specification. Clock speeds: the Arc B580 runs at a base and boost of 2670 MHz, while the RX 5600 XT has a base of 1130 MHz, a game clock of 1375 MHz, and a boost of 1560 MHz. Memory: the Arc B580 offers 12 GB of GDDR6 with a 192-bit bus and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus 6 GB of GDDR6 on the same 192-bit bus but only 288.0 GB/s bandwidth for AMD. The memory clock is 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) for Intel, compared to 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) for AMD. Power: the Arc B580 has a TDP of 190 W, while the RX 5600 XT draws 150 W. Both use a single 8-pin power connector and suggest a 450 W PSU. Bus interface: Intel uses PCIe 4.0 x8, AMD uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: the Arc B580 has 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while the RX 5600 XT has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dimensions: the Arc B580 is 272 mm long, 115 mm tall, and 45 mm wide, while the RX 5600 XT is 267 mm long with no recorded height or width. The Arc B580 launched with 249 USD MSRP, the RX 5600 XT with 279 USD. The Arc B580 is active in production, while the RX 5600 XT is end-of-life. The Arc B580 was released on 2024-12-12, the RX 5600 XT on 2020-01-20. Intel's predecessor is Alchemist, AMD's is Vega, and AMD's successor is Navi II.