AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER and AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP represent two very different points in the GPU release cycle, separated by a generation of architecture and process technology. The data places the RTX 2080 SUPER at the 69th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 580 2048SP sits at the 68th percentile, a seemingly narrow gap in percentile that belies the massive performance delta in actual benchmark scores. The average benchmark score for the RTX 2080 SUPER is 24,170, compared to 23,061 for the RX 580 2048SP, which is a modest 4.8% difference in aggregate, but the head-to-head tests reveal a far more lopsided picture. The following analysis breaks down the specific benchmark results, architectural differences, and the data-driven verdict on who should choose which card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains only three benchmark entries, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER wins all three decisively. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 2080 SUPER scores 1,882 points against the RX 580 2048SP’s 849 points, a delta of 121.7%. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout, indicating that the RTX 2080 SUPER delivers more than double the performance in this modern DirectX 12 workload. For context, the RX 580 2048SP’s nearest rivals include the Intel Arc B580 (deltaPct 0.2%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (deltaPct 0.7%), showing it is competitive with those parts, but the RTX 2080 SUPER sits far above that tier.

The compute-oriented benchmarks are even more one-sided. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2080 SUPER scores 99,226 points versus 29,668 points for the RX 580 2048SP, a delta of 234.5%. This means the NVIDIA card achieves over three times the raw compute throughput in this test, a gap that reflects the fundamental differences in shading units, clock speeds, and memory bandwidth. The Vulkan result follows a similar pattern: the RTX 2080 SUPER scores 111,284 points against 38,666 points, a delta of 187.8%. The data shows the RTX 2080 SUPER is not merely faster; it is in a different performance class entirely for both graphics and compute workloads.

When looking at the broader benchmark suite, the RTX 2080 SUPER’s individual scores reinforce this dominance. It posts a Passmark G3D score of 19,490 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 8,290, while the RX 580 2048SP has no corresponding entries in the FACT PACK for those tests. The RTX 2080 SUPER also achieves a Passmark DirectX 12 score of 75, a Passmark DirectX 11 score of 165, and a Passmark DirectX 9 score of 227, with the RX 580 2048SP lacking comparable data. The only area where the RX 580 2048SP appears competitive is in the percentile ranking, where its 68th percentile is nearly identical to the RTX 2080 SUPER’s 69th percentile, but this is an artifact of the aggregate scoring across all GPUs, not a reflection of head-to-head performance.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is the superior performer in every measured benchmark. For users prioritizing raw frame rates in modern DirectX 12 titles, the RTX 2080 SUPER’s 121.7% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the single most important statistic. This card is designed for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p or entry-level 4K, whereas the RX 580 2048SP, with its 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, is better suited for 1080p gaming with less demanding settings. The RTX 2080 SUPER’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 495.9 GB/s bandwidth provide more than double the memory bandwidth, which directly impacts texture-heavy scenes and higher resolutions.

For compute workloads, the decision is even clearer. The Geekbench OpenCL delta of 234.5% means the RTX 2080 SUPER is the only viable choice for users running GPGPU applications, machine learning inference, or content creation tasks that leverage OpenCL. The RX 580 2048SP’s 5.259 TFLOPS FP32 performance is a fraction of the RTX 2080 SUPER’s 11.15 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance is identical to FP32 (1:1 ratio), whereas the RTX 2080 SUPER doubles its FP16 output to 22.30 TFLOPS (2:1). This makes the NVIDIA card far more capable for mixed-precision workloads.

The only scenario where the RX 580 2048SP could be considered is for legacy system compatibility or power-constrained builds. Its 150 W TDP is lower than the RTX 2080 SUPER’s 250 W, and its suggested PSU of 450 W is less demanding than the 600 W recommended for the NVIDIA card. However, these are operational considerations, not performance advantages. The RTX 2080 SUPER also supports newer API features, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 580 2048SP is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Benchmark results indicate the RTX 2080 SUPER is the definitive choice for any user who values performance, and the RX 580 2048SP should only be selected if the lower power draw is a hard requirement.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 2080 SUPER in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 2080 SUPER scores 1,882 points versus 849 points for the RX 580 2048SP, a delta of 121.7%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two cards?

A: The RTX 2080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 24,170, while the RX 580 2048SP averages 23,061, a difference of approximately 4.8%.

Q: Does the RX 580 2048SP win any head-to-head benchmarks?

A: No. The data shows the RTX 2080 SUPER wins all three head-to-head tests (3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, and Geekbench Vulkan), with the RX 580 2048SP recording zero wins.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth advantage of the RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 2080 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 495.9 GB/s using 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the RX 580 2048SP has 224.0 GB/s using 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, making the NVIDIA card’s bandwidth over twice as high.

Q: Which card has a higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The RTX 2080 SUPER delivers 11.15 TFLOPS FP32, compared to the RX 580 2048SP’s 5.259 TFLOPS, a difference of more than double.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: The RTX 2080 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 580 2048SP supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The RTX 2080 SUPER is built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, featuring 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, while the RX 580 2048SP uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The transistor density is similar (25.0M / mm² versus 24.6M / mm²), but the NVIDIA chip is physically much larger. Clock speeds favor the RTX 2080 SUPER with a base of 1650 MHz and boost of 1815 MHz, compared to the RX 580 2048SP’s base of 1168 MHz and boost of 1284 MHz. Memory configurations are also distinct: the RTX 2080 SUPER uses 8 GB GDDR6 at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) with 495.9 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 580 2048SP uses 4 GB GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute unit counts differ substantially. The RTX 2080 SUPER has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, whereas the RX 580 2048SP has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 2080 SUPER also includes 48 RT cores and 384 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the RX 580 2048SP. Pixel and texture rates reflect these differences: the RTX 2080 SUPER achieves 116.2 GPixel/s and 348.5 GTexel/s, while the RX 580 2048SP manages 41.09 GPixel/s and 164.4 GTexel/s. Power and physical specifications also differ: the RTX 2080 SUPER has a 250 W TDP with dual-slot cooling, 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors, and a 600 W suggested PSU, while the RX 580 2048SP has a 150 W TDP, dual-slot cooling, 1x 8-pin connector, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The RTX 2080 SUPER is longer at 267 mm versus 241 mm for the RX 580 2048SP, and its display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, whereas the RX 580 2048SP offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The RTX 2080 SUPER is based on the Turing architecture (chip TU104), which introduces dedicated RT cores for real-time ray tracing and tensor cores for AI acceleration, features that the GCN 4.0 architecture (chip Polaris 20) in the RX 580 2048SP completely lacks. Turing also supports concurrent execution of integer and floating-point operations, which contributes to its higher efficiency in modern workloads. The RX 580 2048SP’s GCN 4.0 architecture is older, designed for a time before ray tracing and DLSS, and its FP16 throughput is identical to FP32 (1:1 ratio), whereas Turing’s FP16 performance is double its FP32 (2:1 ratio).

The process node difference is also significant: the RTX 2080 SUPER uses TSMC’s 12 nm process, while the RX 580 2048SP uses GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process. This allows the RTX 2080 SUPER to pack more than twice the transistors (13,600 million versus 5,700 million) into a die that is 545 mm² versus 232 mm². The memory subsystem is another key architectural divergence: the RTX 2080 SUPER uses GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus and 495.9 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 580 2048SP uses GDDR5 with the same 256-bit bus but only 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 2080 SUPER’s display output includes a USB Type-C port, which the RX 580 2048SP lacks, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, compared to the RX 580 2048SP’s DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. These architectural differences are not incremental; they represent a full product generation leap, and the benchmark data confirms that the RTX 2080 SUPER’s newer design delivers performance that the RX 580 2048SP cannot approach.