AMD Radeon RX 570X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Comparison

The benchmark data presents a clear and decisive outcome: the AMD Radeon RX 570X is the overwhelmingly faster GPU in raw compute performance. In the sole head-to-head benchmark, the GeForce GTX 580 is left far behind, a result that reflects a generational chasm in architecture and design philosophy. While the GTX 580 was a formidable flagship of its era, the RX 570X demonstrates the substantial performance gains achieved in the intervening years.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 manages only 15,283 points. This results in a delta of -60.8% for the GTX 580, meaning the RX 570X is approximately 155% faster in this specific workload. This is not a marginal victory; it is a decisive rout.

This OpenCL score is a strong indicator of general-purpose compute and raw shader throughput. The RX 570X’s score of 38,939 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 580’s 15,283 sits at the 58th percentile. This is a curious data point: the GTX 580 has a higher percentile ranking despite a far lower raw score. This suggests that the percentile field is based on the average benchmark score, not the single OpenCL result. The GTX 580’s average benchmark score is 15,283, while the RX 570X’s average is 13,871, which explains the higher percentile for the GTX 580 despite its loss in the direct comparison.

Looking at the rivals for each card clarifies the performance landscape. The GTX 580’s OpenCL score of 15,283 is nearly identical to that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, which scores 15,290, a delta of 0%. It is also within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600. This indicates that in OpenCL, the GTX 580 performs on par with much newer entry-level and mid-range cards from a decade later. Conversely, the RX 570X’s average score of 13,871 is closely matched by the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile, which scores 13,821, a delta of 0.4%. Its nearest rival also includes the AMD Radeon 660M at 13,812.

The data shows a single, decisive win for the AMD Radeon RX 570X. The margin is so large that it defines the entire comparison. The GTX 580 has no countervailing benchmark victory in this dataset. The verdict from the numbers is unambiguous: the RX 570X is the superior performer in raw compute tasks.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split is stark, with the AMD Radeon RX 570X winning the only benchmark category. The GeForce GTX 580 has no wins in the provided head-to-head data.

For the AMD Radeon RX 570X, the victory is in compute-heavy workloads, as measured by Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 38,939 is more than double that of its competitor. This suggests a significant advantage in tasks like physics simulations, video encoding, and other general-purpose GPU compute applications that leverage OpenCL. The RX 570X also benefits from a much larger 8 GB frame buffer, which allows it to handle larger datasets and textures without running out of memory, a factor not directly measured in the OpenCL test but critical for modern gaming and professional applications.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 finds its strengths only in the context of its own legacy. Its average benchmark score of 15,283 is actually higher than the RX 570X’s average of 13,871, a fact driven by the RX 570X’s lower Passmark scores. The RX 570X scores 1,923 in Passmark G3D and 750 in Passmark G2D. This means that while the RX 570X excels in the OpenCL compute test, its overall average is dragged down by these other metrics, giving the GTX 580 a better percentile ranking. This is a statistical quirk rather than a sign of real-world superiority for the GTX 580. In any direct comparison, the RX 570X is the clear winner.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different eras of GPU design. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 uses the GF110 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture and manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. This older process results in a massive die size of 520 mm², which houses 3,000 million transistors. The AMD Radeon RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip, based on the GCN 4.0 architecture, built on a much more efficient 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This newer node allows AMD to pack 5,700 million transistors into a much smaller 232 mm² die. The transistor density difference is enormous: 24.6M / mm² for the RX 570X versus 5.8M / mm² for the GTX 580.

These architectural differences translate directly into compute resources. The RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 ROPs. The GTX 580, by contrast, has only 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. While the GTX 580 has more ROPs, the RX 570X has four times the shader count and double the TMUs. This explains the massive difference in compute throughput: the RX 570X delivers 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the GTX 580 is limited to 1.581 TFLOPS.

The memory subsystems also differ significantly. The GTX 580 uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s. The RX 570X uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, but with a higher memory clock speed, it achieves a higher bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The RX 570X also supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 580 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. In terms of APIs, the RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the GTX 580 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed. This makes the RX 570X far more compatible with modern software.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X is significantly faster, scoring 38,939 points compared to the GeForce GTX 580's 15,283 points, a delta of -60.8% for the GTX 580.

Q: How does the GTX 580's OpenCL score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 580's score of 15,283 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290) and the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270), and it is only 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has only 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Does the GTX 580 have a higher average benchmark score than the RX 570X?

A: Yes, the GTX 580 has an average benchmark score of 15,283, which is higher than the RX 570X's average of 13,871, despite the RX 570X winning the direct OpenCL comparison.

Q: What are the architecture names for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, while the AMD Radeon RX 570X is based on the GCN 4.0 architecture.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X has a higher pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580's 24.70 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

The specifications below highlight the key differences between the two GPUs.

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 | AMD Radeon RX 570X |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Chip | GF110 | Polaris 20 |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 520 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Shading Units | 512 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 64 | 128 |

| ROPs | 48 | 32 |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.4 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1.581 TFLOPS | 5.095 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 244 W | 150 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Vulkan Support | Not Listed | 1.3 |

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal. The AMD Radeon RX 570X is the superior graphics card for any modern workload. It offers more than double the raw compute performance in the OpenCL benchmark, has a significantly larger memory pool, and supports newer APIs like Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0). Its architectural advantages, including a smaller, denser process node and a massive lead in shading units, translate directly into a dominant performance win. The RX 570X also achieves this with a lower power draw and a single 6-pin power connector, making it a more efficient and easier-to-integrate solution.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, while a historic product with a higher average benchmark score due to its OpenCL result, is a relic of a bygone era. Its Fermi 2.0 architecture and 40 nm process are far less efficient, and its 1536 MB of memory is a severe limitation. Its only advantage lies in its higher percentile ranking, which is a result of the statistical average and does not reflect its performance in the direct head-to-head comparison. For anyone choosing between these two for a practical purpose, the RX 570X is the only logical choice. Its benchmark victory is decisive, and the data shows no scenario where the GTX 580 offers a competitive advantage.