AMD Radeon RX 7600 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 represent two distant eras of graphics architecture, separated by over a decade of process technology and design philosophy. The data available for direct comparison is limited to a single shared benchmark, but the specification sheets alone reveal a profound generational shift. The GTX 580 was a flagship of its time, while the RX 7600 is a modern mid-range part, and the benchmark results and architectural details paint a clear picture of progress.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a single decisive victory for the AMD Radeon RX 7600. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7600 scores 88,051, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores a mere 15,283. This represents a delta of -82.6% for the GTX 580, meaning the RX 7600 delivers roughly five and a half times the raw compute performance in this workload. There is no benchmark in the dataset where the GTX 580 comes out ahead; the wins tally is 0 for the GTX 580 and 1 for the RX 7600.

This result is not surprising given the sheer difference in compute resources. The RX 7600 boasts 2,048 shading units and a FP32 throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS, compared to the GTX 580's 512 shading units and 1.581 TFLOPS. The RX 7600 also has double the texture mapping units (128 vs 64) and more raster operating units (64 vs 48). Consequently, the RX 7600's theoretical pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s far exceeds the GTX 580's 24.70 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s dwarfs the older card's 49.41 GTexel/s. The RX 7600 is a clear winner in every measurable performance category present in the data.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 580 uses NVIDIA's Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process, while the RX 7600 uses AMD's RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 6 nm process. This node shrink is immense. The GTX 580 packs 3,000 million transistors onto a large 520 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 5.8M per mm². In contrast, the RX 7600 fits 13,300 million transistors onto a much smaller 204 mm² die, achieving a density of 65.2M per mm². This reflects over a decade of fabrication improvements.

Memory configurations also differ sharply. The GTX 580 ships with 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s. The RX 7600, however, uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a narrower 128-bit bus, yet still achieves higher bandwidth at 288.0 GB/s due to faster memory clocks. The RX 7600's memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), while the GTX 580's memory runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The RX 7600 also supports PCIe 4.0 x8, whereas the GTX 580 uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.

Feature support is another major divide. The RX 7600 includes 32 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the GTX 580. Its API support is also more modern, with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 580 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no listed Vulkan support. The RX 7600's display outputs include HDMI 2.1a and DisplayPort 2.1, while the GTX 580 offers older DVI and mini-HDMI 1.3a connections. The RX 7600 also supports FP16 compute at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, a capability not listed for the GTX 580.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 88,051, versus the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580's 15,283. The delta percentage of -82.6% indicates the GTX 580's score is 82.6% lower than the RX 7600's score. This is not a marginal difference; it is a categorical blowout. The RX 7600's score is over five times higher.

Looking at the broader context, the GTX 580's average benchmark score of 15,283 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7600's average score of 15,171 places it in the 57th percentile. These percentile rankings are remarkably close, despite the vast difference in the single OpenCL test. This suggests that the GTX 580's performance profile is relatively strong for its age, but the RX 7600's average is pulled down by its diverse set of benchmarks, which include modern DirectX 12 and compute tests where its performance may not scale as impressively relative to other modern cards. The RX 7600's Passmark scores, for instance, show a G3D score of 16,634 and a GPU compute score of 8,790, while its DirectX 12 score is only 58. This indicates that the RX 7600's raw compute power is immense, but its performance in specific legacy API tests can be more modest.

The nearest rivals for each card further illustrate the generational gap. The GTX 580's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with a delta of 0%, while the RX 7600's closest is the RTX 3050 OEM, with a delta of -0.2%. This shows that the GTX 580 is being compared to cards from a much later era, yet it still holds a comparable average score. The RX 7600, on the other hand, is positioned among similarly modern mid-range cards.

The Verdict

From a purely performance standpoint, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the unequivocal winner. The data shows a 476% advantage in the single available compute benchmark. Anyone needing raw compute performance, modern API support, ray tracing capabilities, or higher memory bandwidth should choose the RX 7600 without hesitation. Its 8 GB of VRAM is also four times the GTX 580's 1536 MB, which is critical for modern game textures and workloads.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, however, is an end-of-life product with a legacy architecture. Its only conceivable advantage is its historical significance or its 384-bit memory bus, which is a niche technical curiosity. The data does not support any scenario where the GTX 580 is a better choice for a modern user. Its 244 W TDP is higher than the RX 7600's 165 W, and it requires a 550 W power supply versus 450 W for the RX 7600. The GTX 580 also lacks modern display outputs and API support, making it incompatible with many current applications and games. The verdict is clear: the RX 7600 is the only logical choice from this dataset.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher score in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 88,051, which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580's score of 15,283.

Q: What is the difference in FP32 performance between the two cards?

A: The RX 7600 delivers 21.75 TFLOPS, while the GTX 580 delivers 1.581 TFLOPS, making the AMD card over 13 times faster in this metric.

Q: Does the GTX 580 support ray tracing?

A: No, the GTX 580 has no ray tracing cores listed, while the RX 7600 includes 32 ray tracing cores.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare?

A: The RX 7600 has a higher bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, despite using a 128-bit bus, compared to the GTX 580's 192.4 GB/s on a 384-bit bus.

Q: Which card is larger in physical size?

A: The GTX 580 has a length of 267 mm (10.5 inches), while the RX 7600 is shorter at 204 mm (8 inches).

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RX 7600 has a density of 65.2M transistors per mm², whereas the GTX 580 has a density of 5.8M per mm².

Specification Differences

The following table outlines the key specifications where the two GPUs differ.

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 | AMD Radeon RX 7600 |

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

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | RDNA 3.0 |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 6 nm |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 13,300 million |

| Die Size | 520 mm² | 204 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.8M / mm² | 65.2M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.4 GB/s | 288.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 512 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 64 | 128 |

| ROPs | 48 | 64 |

| RT Cores | None | 32 |

| FP32 Performance | 1.581 TFLOPS | 21.75 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not listed | 21.75 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 244 W | 165 W |

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

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan Support | Not listed | 1.4 |

| Length | 267 mm | 204 mm |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | 269 USD |