AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Comparison

The data shows a clear, if narrow, performance hierarchy: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 edges out the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 in the only directly comparable benchmark, but the two cards are separated by a generation gap in architecture and intended use case. The GTX 580 posts a 22% higher OpenCL score, yet the RX Vega 11 counters with superior API support, a much smaller footprint, and a radically lower thermal envelope. The verdict is not about raw supremacy but about context: one is a legacy discrete powerhouse, the other a modern integrated solution.

FAQ

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins decisively, scoring 15,283 against the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11's 12,525. This represents a 22% delta in favor of the GTX 580, making it the outright winner in the only head-to-head test available.

Q: How do these two GPUs rank against all other GPUs?

A: The GTX 580 sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX Vega 11 lands in the 56th percentile. In terms of average benchmark score, the GTX 580 achieves 15,283, whereas the RX Vega 11 averages 14,385 across its available benchmarks.

Q: What are the closest rivals for each card according to the data?

A: The GTX 580's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with a negligible 0% delta. The RX Vega 11's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which trails it by just 0.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, which leads it by 0.1%.

Q: Does the RX Vega 11 support more modern graphics APIs than the GTX 580?

A: Yes. The AMD RX Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 580 only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two cards?

A: The difference is extreme. The GTX 580 has a TDP of 244 W and requires a 550 W power supply, while the RX Vega 11 has a TDP of just 15 W and is an IGP with no power connectors, drawing power directly from the motherboard.

Q: What are the memory configurations for each GPU?

A: The GTX 580 uses 1,536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding 192.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX Vega 11 uses system shared memory, with its bandwidth described as "System Dependent" and its bus width listed as "System Shared".

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast, reflecting their different eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture using a 40 nm process at TSMC, packing 3,000 million transistors onto a massive 520 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 5.8 million transistors per square millimeter. In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 4,940 million transistors on a much smaller 210 mm² die, yielding a density of 23.5 million transistors per square millimeter.

The core configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 580 fields 512 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The RX Vega 11, despite being an integrated part, offers more shading units at 704, but fewer TMUs at 44 and dramatically fewer ROPs at just 8. This imbalance explains the performance characteristics: the RX Vega 11 has a higher theoretical texture fill rate of 61.60 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s for the GTX 580, but the GTX 580 dominates in pixel fill rate at 24.70 GPixel/s compared to just 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega.

Feature support and specifications further separate them. The GTX 580 offers dual-slot cooling, a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connector, and a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface. The RX Vega 11 is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and relies on a motherboard-dependent display output. The NVIDIA card has dedicated GDDR5 memory, while the AMD part shares system memory. Crucially, the RX Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the GTX 580 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan support, giving the AMD part a clear advantage in modern API compatibility.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15,283, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12,525. This gives the GTX 580 a 22% victory, marking it as the clear winner in raw compute performance under this specific workload.

This 22% lead is significant, but context matters. The GTX 580's score places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M, showing that it remains competitive in compute tasks despite its age. On the other side, the RX Vega 11's OpenCL score of 12,525 is its lowest benchmark result; it performs better in Vulkan with 13,543 and best in Metal with 17,086. These additional scores are not directly comparable to the GTX 580, which has no Metal or Vulkan results listed, but they indicate that the RX Vega 11's performance varies significantly depending on the API used.

The GTX 580 wins the head-to-head with a single victory and zero losses. However, the RX Vega 11's average benchmark score of 14,385, which includes its higher Metal and Vulkan results, narrows the gap to just 6.2% versus the GTX 580's average of 15,283. This suggests that in real-world scenarios where multiple APIs are in play, the RX Vega 11 may close the distance considerably, even if it loses the pure OpenCL contest.

The Verdict

The data leads to a straightforward conclusion: pick the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 if you need maximum raw compute performance in legacy applications, and pick the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 if you value modern API support, efficiency, and a compact form factor. The GTX 580 is the performance winner in the direct benchmark, but the RX Vega 11 is the more versatile and forward-looking part.

For users with an existing desktop system that can accommodate a 267 mm dual-slot card with a 550 W power supply, the GTX 580 offers a 22% OpenCL advantage. Its 192.4 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth and 48 ROPs make it better suited for high-resolution pixel pushing. However, its 244 W TDP is a significant burden, and its lack of Vulkan support limits its utility in modern Linux or Vulkan-based workloads.

The RX Vega 11 is the logical choice for compact or integrated builds. Its 15 W TDP means it requires no extra power connectors and generates minimal heat. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, making it more future-proof for current game APIs. Its performance is respectable, with a 56th percentile ranking and an average score of 14,385, but it falls behind in the OpenCL test that defines the GTX 580's legacy strength.

Specification Differences

The specifications reveal a stark contrast in design priorities. The process node differs significantly: the GTX 580 uses a 40 nm process, while the RX Vega 11 uses 12 nm. The GTX 580 has a die size of 520 mm² versus 210 mm² for the RX Vega 11, although the AMD chip integrates 4,940 million transistors compared to 3,000 million for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds are configured differently. The GTX 580 has no listed base or boost clocks, while the RX Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1,400 MHz. Memory is a major differentiator: the GTX 580 has 1,536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX Vega 11 uses system shared memory with no fixed bandwidth.

The shading unit count favors AMD at 704 versus 512, but NVIDIA leads in TMUs (64 vs 44) and ROPs (48 vs 8). The GTX 580 achieves a pixel rate of 24.70 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the RX Vega 11, but the AMD part has a higher texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s. FP32 compute favors the RX Vega 11 at 1.971 TFLOPS versus 1.581 TFLOPS for the GTX 580. Power consumption is the largest gap: 244 W for the GTX 580 versus 15 W for the RX Vega 11.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins in scenarios that demand raw pixel throughput and dedicated memory bandwidth. Its 48 ROPs and 24.70 GPixel/s pixel rate make it superior for traditional rasterization at high resolutions. The 192.4 GB/s of dedicated GDDR5 bandwidth is a clear advantage over shared system memory, particularly in texture-heavy workloads. It wins the OpenCL benchmark outright, and its 58th percentile ranking is higher than the RX Vega 11's 56th. It is also the only card of the two with a dedicated power connector setup, allowing it to sustain higher clocks under load, and its 1,536 MB of VRAM, while modest, is still dedicated.

AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins in modern API compatibility and efficiency. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, making it the better choice for current games and applications that leverage these APIs. Its 15 W TDP is a fraction of the GTX 580's, enabling fanless or low-power builds. It also offers more shading units (704) and a higher texture fill rate (61.60 GTexel/s), which could benefit compute tasks that rely on shader count. Its higher FP32 throughput of 1.971 TFLOPS suggests it can outperform the GTX 580 in certain compute workloads, even if the OpenCL test shows otherwise. For users with a modern motherboard, the RX Vega 11's IGP design eliminates the need for a discrete card slot entirely.