AMD Radeon RX 580 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 12,928, while the GTX 960A scores 11,998. The RX 580 is ahead by roughly 7.8% in overall average score.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RX 580 sits at the 53rd percentile, while the GTX 960A is at the 51st percentile. Both are near the mid-range of all GPUs, but the RX 580 edges ahead.

Q: How do the two compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RX 580 scores 37,453, while the GTX 960A scores 11,998. The RX 580 wins by a decisive 212.2% margin — the only head-to-head benchmark available.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The RX 580 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960A has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count and what is the process node?

A: The RX 580 uses 5,700 million transistors on a 14 nm process (GlobalFoundries). The GTX 960A uses 1,870 million transistors on a 28 nm process (TSMC).

Q: What is the TDP and power connector requirement for each?

A: The RX 580 has a TDP of 185 W and requires a 1x 8-pin power connector with a suggested 450 W PSU. The GTX 960A has a TDP of 75 W and uses no power connectors, being an MXM module.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the superior GPU in nearly every measurable category. Its average benchmark score of 12,928 versus the GTX 960A's 11,998 represents a solid overall lead, and the sole head-to-head test — Geekbench OpenCL — shows the RX 580 delivering 212.2% higher performance. The RX 580 also holds a higher percentile ranking (53rd vs 51st).

For anyone choosing between these two, the RX 580 is the clear pick for desktop gaming and compute workloads. It offers 8 GB of memory versus 2 GB, a 256-bit bus versus 128-bit, and roughly four times the shading units (2,304 vs 640). The GTX 960A is a low-power MXM module designed for portability — 75 W TDP, no power connectors, portable-device-dependent display outputs — which makes it a niche product for laptops or compact systems where power efficiency is paramount.

That said, the GTX 960A's nearest rivals include the GTX 1080 (0.3% ahead) and RX 6500 XT (1.3% ahead), showing it holds its own against much newer parts in raw average score. But against the RX 580, it loses on every benchmark metric, every specification, and every architectural advantage. If you need raw performance, choose the RX 580. If you need a low-power, MXM-based GPU for a portable chassis, the GTX 960A is the only option — but it is not a performance competitor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data provides a single direct comparison: Geekbench OpenCL. The RX 580 scores 37,453, while the GTX 960A scores 11,998. The delta is 212.2% — more than three times the performance. This is not a close race; it is a categorical destruction.

The RX 580 wins the only head-to-head test, giving it a 1–0 record in wins. The magnitude of the victory is telling: OpenCL performance reflects general compute capability, and the RX 580's 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput versus the GTX 960A's 1.505 TFLOPS explains the gap. The GTX 960A does not even list FP16 capabilities, while the RX 580 offers 6.175 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio).

Beyond the direct test, the average benchmark scores reinforce the hierarchy. The RX 580's average of 12,928 places it near the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940, −0.1%) and GTX 1660 SUPER (12,986, −0.4%). The GTX 960A's average of 11,998 places it near the GTX 1080 (11,960, +0.3%) and RX 6500 XT (11,842, +1.3%). In context, the RX 580 competes with Turing-era and Ampere-era mobile parts, while the GTX 960A sits alongside much higher-tier desktop GPUs in average score — but that is due to its single benchmark result, not broad performance parity.

Specification Differences

The specification gap between these two GPUs is vast and favors the RX 580 in every performance-oriented field.

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 580 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A |

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

| Shading Units | 2,304 | 640 |

| TMUs | 144 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 42.88 GPixel/s | 18.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 193.0 GTexel/s | 47.04 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 6.175 TFLOPS | 1.505 TFLOPS |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 80.19 GB/s |

| Base Clock | 1257 MHz | 1097 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1340 MHz | 1176 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| TDP | 185 W | 75 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

The RX 580 has 3.6 times the shading units, 3.6 times the TMUs, and double the ROPs. Its pixel rate is 2.3 times higher, and its texture rate is 4.1 times higher. Memory bandwidth is 3.2 times greater. The RX 580 also has a higher launch MSRP of 229 USD, while the GTX 960A has no launch MSRP listed.

The GTX 960A's only advantages are its much lower TDP (75 W vs 185 W) and its MXM form factor, which suits portable devices. It also supports Vulkan 1.4, whereas the RX 580 supports Vulkan 1.3 — a minor software lead for NVIDIA.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational and conceptual. The RX 580 uses AMD's Polaris 20 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The GTX 960A uses NVIDIA's GM107 chip based on Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The transistor counts reflect the process advantage: the RX 580 packs 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, giving a density of 24.6 million transistors per mm². The GTX 960A has 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, for a density of 12.6 million per mm². The RX 580 nearly doubles the transistor density and more than triples the raw count.

The RX 580's GCN 4.0 architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 960A's Maxwell supports DirectX 12 (11_0) — a feature-level difference. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 960A lists Vulkan 1.4 versus the RX 580's Vulkan 1.3. The RX 580 has FP16 support at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the GTX 960A has no FP16 data listed.

The memory subsystems are also architecturally distinct. The RX 580 uses a 256-bit bus with 8 GB GDDR5 and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960A uses a 128-bit bus with 2 GB GDDR5 and 80.19 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 580's memory clock is 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective), while the GTX 960A runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

The RX 580 is part of the Polaris (RX 500) generation, succeeding Arctic Islands and preceding Vega. The GTX 960A belongs to the GeForce 900A generation, succeeding GeForce 800A. Both are end-of-life products, but the RX 580 is a desktop dual-slot card with standard display outputs, while the GTX 960A is an MXM module with portable-device-dependent outputs.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 580 — For desktop gaming and compute workloads. The RX 580 wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 212.2%, and its specification sheet dominates: 8 GB memory, 256-bit bus, 2,304 shading units, and 6.175 TFLOPS FP32. Its 53rd percentile ranking and average score of 12,928 place it alongside the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and GTX 1660 SUPER — modern parts that are still relevant for 1080p gaming. The RX 580's 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate and 193.0 GTexel/s texture rate make it a capable rasterization performer. It also offers standard display outputs (HDMI 2.0b, three DisplayPort 1.4a), making it a drop-in desktop GPU.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A — For low-power portable systems. The GTX 960A wins on power efficiency with a 75 W TDP and no external power connectors. Its MXM form factor and portable-device-dependent outputs target laptops or compact embedded systems where a standard PCIe card cannot fit. Its 51st percentile ranking and average score of 11,998 are respectable, and its nearest rivals include the GTX 1080 and RX 6500 XT — showing it is not a slouch in raw average score. However, it has only one benchmark result (Geekbench OpenCL at 11,998), so its average is based on a single data point. It also supports Vulkan 1.4, which is a newer API version than the RX 580's 1.3. For anyone building a desktop or needing performance, the GTX 960A is not a viable choice — the data shows it is outclassed in every performance metric.