AMD Radeon RX 580 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 Comparison

Launched in late 2010, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 was a high-end Fermi part, while the AMD Radeon RX 580 arrived in 2017 as a mainstream Polaris refresh. The data shows a generational chasm: the RX 580 dominates the single shared benchmark, yet the GTX 570 holds its own in architectural legacy. This analysis compares the two strictly on the provided facts, focusing on compute performance, architectural design, and feature sets.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 580 scores 37,453, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13,515. This represents a 177% performance advantage for the RX 580, or conversely, the GTX 570 trails by 63.9% according to the deltaPct. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout. The RX 580's score is roughly 2.77 times higher, indicating that in raw compute workloads, the newer card is in a different performance tier entirely.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the GTX 570's average benchmark score is 13,515, placing it in the 54th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (score 13,536, delta -0.2%) and the NVIDIA P106-090 (score 13,470, delta 0.3%). This shows the GTX 570 is firmly anchored in the lower-midrange of modern GPU performance, competing with entry-level mobile parts. The RX 580, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 12,928 across its full suite of tests, placing it in the 53rd percentile. However, its nearest rivals are notably stronger: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (score 12,940, delta -0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (score 12,986, delta -0.4%). While the percentile ranking is similar, the RX 580 is competing against much more capable hardware, suggesting its higher OpenCL score is not an anomaly. The RX 580 also shows strong results in other APIs, scoring 45,235 in Geekbench Metal and 45,173 in Geekbench Vulkan, with a Passmark G3D score of 8,813.

The head-to-head data shows one win for the RX 580 and zero for the GTX 570. The delta of -63.9% for the GTX 570 is a stark indicator of the performance gap. While the GTX 570's OpenCL score is respectable for its era, the RX 580's compute architecture is simply in a different league, offering over 2.5x the raw throughput in this specific test.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is immense, reflecting seven years of GPU evolution. The GTX 570 is built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture using the GF110 chip, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. This older node results in a massive die size of 520 mm² containing 3,000 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 5.8M / mm². In contrast, the RX 580 uses the GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 20 chip, built on a much more efficient 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This allows for 5,700 million transistors on a smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a density of 24.6M / mm². The RX 580 packs nearly twice the transistors into less than half the area, a signal of process node advancements.

Core configuration differences are equally pronounced. The GTX 570 features 480 shading units, 60 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 40 render output units (ROPs). The RX 580 massively increases these counts with 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. While the RX 580 has fewer ROPs, its shading and texturing capabilities are vastly superior. This translates directly to compute throughput: the GTX 570 offers 1,405.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RX 580 delivers 6.175 TFLOPS (or 6,175 GFLOPS). The RX 580 also offers FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the GTX 570 has no FP16 data. Pixel and texture rates tell the same story: the GTX 570 achieves 21.96 GPixel/s and 43.92 GTexel/s, while the RX 580 reaches 42.88 GPixel/s and 193.0 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture also differs significantly. The GTX 570 uses 1,280 MB of GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, providing 152.0 GB/s of bandwidth at an effective speed of 3.8 Gbps. The RX 580 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, but achieves higher bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s thanks to a faster effective speed of 8 Gbps. The RX 580 has more capacity and more bandwidth, though the GTX 570's wider bus is a legacy of its high-end positioning. The RX 580 also supports newer API standards, including DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 570 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL compute benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 is significantly faster, scoring 37,453 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570's 13,515. This represents a 63.9% lead for the RX 580.

Q: How do the transistor counts compare between the two cards?

A: The RX 580 contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, while the GTX 570 contains 3,000 million transistors on a larger 520 mm² die. The RX 580's smaller, denser chip is a result of the newer 14 nm process versus the 40 nm node.

Q: Does the GTX 570 support Vulkan?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 570. The RX 580, however, supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 580 offers 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is significantly higher than the GTX 570's 152.0 GB/s. This is despite the RX 580 using a narrower 256-bit bus compared to the GTX 570's 320-bit bus, due to faster effective memory speeds (8 Gbps vs 3.8 Gbps).

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The RX 580 has a higher pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s, nearly double the GTX 570's 21.96 GPixel/s. This is despite the RX 580 having fewer ROPs (32 vs 40), due to its higher clock speeds.

Q: How does the power draw compare?

A: The GTX 570 has a higher TDP of 219 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the RX 580 has a lower TDP of 185 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The RX 580 achieves higher performance while consuming less power.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the superior performer in every measurable compute aspect. It delivers over 2.7x the FP32 throughput, over 1.6x the memory bandwidth, and nearly 2x the pixel rate of the GTX 570. The RX 580 also wins the only direct benchmark comparison by a massive 63.9% margin. For any user prioritizing raw performance, modern API support (Vulkan 1.3, DirectX 12_0), or higher memory capacity (8 GB vs 1,280 MB), the RX 580 is the clear choice. Its lower TDP (185 W vs 219 W) and smaller physical footprint (241 mm vs 267 mm) also make it a more practical option for modern systems.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, however, is not without historical merit. Its 40 nm Fermi architecture was a high-end product in its day, and its 320-bit memory bus and 40 ROPs were impressive specifications. The data shows it sits in the 54th percentile, just ahead of the RX 580's 53rd percentile ranking, though this is due to the different benchmark suites used. The GTX 570's nearest rivals are low-powered mobile parts, whereas the RX 580 competes with desktop cards like the GTX 1660 SUPER. This suggests that while the GTX 570's single OpenCL score is low, its relative standing is skewed by the benchmarks available. For a modern workload, the GTX 570 is severely outdated, lacking Vulkan support and offering a fraction of the compute power. The RX 580 is the only sensible choice for current applications, while the GTX 570 is a relic of a bygone era.

Specification Differences

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

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

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

| Die Size | 520 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.8M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | N/A | 1257 MHz |

| Boost Clock | N/A | 1340 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 3.8 Gbps effective | 8 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 1280 MB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus | 320 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 152.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 480 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 60 | 144 |

| ROPs | 40 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 21.96 GPixel/s | 42.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 43.92 GTexel/s | 193.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,405.4 GFLOPS | 6.175 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | N/A | 6.175 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 219 W | 185 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | N/A | 1.3 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 241 mm (9.5 inches) |