NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 are two end-of-life graphics cards separated by roughly two and a half years of GPU architecture evolution. The benchmark data shows the GTX 770 as the overall winner, taking the sole head-to-head comparison in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 15,707 against the GTX 580’s 15,283, a 2.7% margin. However, the GTX 580 is not obsolete in compute workloads, as its average benchmark score of 15,283 places it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 770’s average of 14,747 sits at the 57th percentile, meaning the older card actually ranks slightly higher in the overall distribution despite losing the direct comparison.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 770 wins the only direct benchmark comparison available, posting a Geekbench OpenCL score of 15,707 versus the GTX 580’s 15,283. That 2.7% advantage is modest but consistent with the newer architecture’s higher raw compute throughput. The GTX 770 also demonstrates versatility across multiple API benchmarks, with scores of 9,369 in Geekbench Metal, 15,707 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 19,166 in Geekbench Vulkan, showing it can leverage modern compute interfaces effectively. The GTX 580 has no such breadth of benchmark data, with only its single OpenCL result of 15,283.

Where the GTX 580 wins is in consistency and relative standing. Its average benchmark score of 15,283 is higher than the GTX 770’s average of 14,747, and its 58th percentile ranking beats the GTX 770’s 57th percentile. This suggests that while the GTX 770 has a higher peak in one test, the GTX 580 delivers a more stable compute performance profile. The GTX 580’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with a delta of 0%, meaning the two cards score nearly identically on average, which is remarkable for a card from 2010. In contrast, the GTX 770’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, with a delta of 0.4%, and it actually trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti by 2.1% and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X by 2.2% in average score.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct architectural generations. The GTX 580 uses the GF110 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 770 uses the GK104 chip based on Kepler architecture, also from TSMC but on a newer 28 nm node. The process shrink is significant: the GTX 580 packs 3,000 million transistors into a 520 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.8M per mm², whereas the GTX 770 fits 3,540 million transistors into a much smaller 294 mm² die, achieving a density of 12.0M per mm². This more than doubles the transistor density, enabling the GTX 770 to deliver more compute units in a smaller physical package.

The compute configurations differ substantially. The GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, while the GTX 770 has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 770’s shading unit count is three times higher, which directly contributes to its higher FP32 throughput of 3.333 TFLOPS versus the GTX 580’s 1.581 TFLOPS — a 110% advantage. However, the GTX 580 has more ROPs (48 vs 32), which explains its pixel rate of 24.70 GPixel/s compared to the GTX 770’s 34.72 GPixel/s, the latter still winning despite fewer ROPs due to higher clock speeds. Texture rate also favors the GTX 770 dramatically: 138.9 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is another key differentiator. The GTX 580 uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 192.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 770 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s. The GTX 770 achieves higher bandwidth with a narrower bus thanks to faster memory clocks: 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 770 also supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 580 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. In terms of connectivity, the GTX 770 offers more modern display outputs including HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2, whereas the GTX 580 only has DVI and mini-HDMI 1.3a. API support also diverges: the GTX 770 supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan support at all, though both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the GTX 770 for users who need modern API support and higher peak compute performance. Its Vulkan capability, PCIe 3.0 interface, and 110% higher FP32 throughput make it the more future-proof choice for compute tasks that can leverage these features. The GTX 770 also wins the direct OpenCL benchmark with a 2.7% margin, and its broader benchmark portfolio (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan) indicates better software ecosystem compatibility. For gaming and general graphics workloads, the GTX 770’s higher texture rate (138.9 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (34.72 GPixel/s) suggest better rasterization performance, though no direct gaming benchmarks are provided in this data.

The GTX 580, however, is the pick for users who prioritize consistent average performance and relative standing. Its average benchmark score of 15,283 exceeds the GTX 770’s 14,747, and it ranks in the 58th percentile versus the GTX 770’s 57th. The GTX 580’s nearest rival being the RTX 2060 with a 0% delta is a strong signal of its lasting compute relevance. Its larger 384-bit memory bus and 48 ROPs may also benefit specific workloads that are sensitive to memory parallelism or pixel throughput, though this is not directly evidenced in the benchmark data. The GTX 580 also has a lower TDP of 244 W versus the GTX 770’s 230 W, meaning it consumes slightly more power, but both require the same 550 W suggested PSU and use identical power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin).

The verdict is straightforward: if you need modern features and maximum compute throughput, choose the GTX 770. If you want a card that punches above its weight in average compute performance and holds a better percentile ranking, the GTX 580 is the data-backed choice, despite losing the head-to-head test.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 580 has a higher average benchmark score of 15,283, compared to the GTX 770’s 14,747, which is a difference of 536 points in favor of the GTX 580.

Q: Does the GTX 770 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the GTX 770 supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan support listed in the data.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 770 has higher memory bandwidth at 224.4 GB/s, while the GTX 580 delivers 192.4 GB/s, giving the GTX 770 a 32.0 GB/s advantage.

Q: How do their transistor densities compare?

A: The GTX 770 has a transistor density of 12.0M per mm², which is more than double the GTX 580’s 5.8M per mm², despite the GTX 580 having a larger die size of 520 mm² versus 294 mm².

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GTX 770 has 1,536 shading units, which is three times the GTX 580’s 512 shading units, directly contributing to its higher FP32 throughput of 3.333 TFLOPS versus 1.581 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the direct head-to-head benchmark result?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 770 scored 15,707 versus the GTX 580’s 15,283, with the GTX 770 winning by a 2.7% margin.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the GTX 770 scores 15,707 and the GTX 580 scores 15,283. This gives the GTX 770 a 424-point victory, representing a 2.7% performance lead. While this is a clear win for the GTX 770, it is notably the margin is relatively small — less than 3% — which suggests the architectural advantages of the newer card do not translate into a dominant compute advantage in this particular workload.

However, the broader benchmark context tells a more nuanced story. The GTX 580’s average score across all benchmarks is 15,283, which is actually higher than the GTX 770’s average of 14,747. This discrepancy arises because the GTX 770’s average is pulled down by its Metal benchmark score of 9,369, which is significantly lower than its OpenCL and Vulkan scores. The GTX 770’s Vulkan score of 19,166 is its strongest result, exceeding its OpenCL score by 3,459 points. The GTX 580 has no Metal or Vulkan scores in the data, so its average is based solely on its OpenCL result.

In terms of relative positioning, the GTX 580’s nearest rival is the RTX 2060 with a 0% delta, meaning they score nearly identically on average. The GTX 580 also leads the AMD Radeon RX 7600 by 0.7% and the RTX 3050 OEM by 0.6%. The GTX 770’s nearest rival is the RX 5500 XT with a 0.4% delta, but it trails the GTX 660 Ti by 2.1% and the Radeon Pro 560X by 2.2%. This indicates that while the GTX 770 wins the direct comparison, its average performance places it in a slightly less favorable position relative to its contemporaries than the GTX 580 occupies relative to its peers.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 |

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

| Chip | GF110 | GK104 |

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 3,540 million |

| Die Size | 520 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.8M / mm² | 12.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 1046 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1085 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.4 GB/s | 224.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 512 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 64 | 128 |

| ROPs | 48 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 24.70 GPixel/s | 34.72 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 49.41 GTexel/s | 138.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.581 TFLOPS | 3.333 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 244 W | 230 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Vulkan Support | Not listed | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2010-11-08 | 2013-05-29 |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | 399 USD |

| Dimensions (L×H) | 267 mm × 111 mm | 267 mm × 111 mm |

| Width | Not listed | 38 mm |