NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by more than a decade of architectural evolution. The RTX 4060, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, delivers modern features like ray tracing cores and tensor cores, while the GTX 580, based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process, is a legacy part with no such capabilities. The database contains one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two cards, and the results are decisive: the RTX 4060 wins the only shared test by a substantial margin. Beyond that single measurement, the two cards have very different benchmark portfolios, with the RTX 4060 holding scores across ten tests and the GTX 580 having just one recorded result. This analysis walks through where each card wins, what separates them architecturally, and what the recorded data says about their relative performance.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4060 wins the only benchmark that both cards have in common, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 95057 against 15283 for the GTX 580. That is a 522% advantage for the RTX 4060, meaning the newer card delivers roughly six times the raw compute performance in this workload. No other head-to-head tests exist in the database, so the RTX 4060 is the clear winner in direct comparison, with one win and zero losses.

Looking at the broader benchmark portfolio, the RTX 4060 has scores in ten different tests, covering DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, DirectX 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, general GPU compute, and 2D graphics. Its strongest absolute scores are in Geekbench OpenCL at 95057 and Geekbench Vulkan at 48643, with a Passmark G3D score of 19545 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 9213. The GTX 580, by contrast, has only the single Geekbench OpenCL result, so its capabilities in other API workloads are not recorded in the database.

In terms of overall standing, the RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639 and sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GTX 580 has an average score of 15283 and sits at the 58th percentile. While the percentile gap is modest, the average score difference of 2356 points reflects the substantial performance advantage of the newer card. The GTX 580's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with an average score of 15290, the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171, all within 0.7% of its score. The RTX 4060, meanwhile, sits near the AMD Radeon HD 7790 at 17666, the AMD Radeon 780M at 17588, the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 at 17509, with deltas ranging from 0.7% behind to 0.2% ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. It contains 18,900 million transistors on a die size of 159 mm², giving it a transistor density of 118.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 580 uses the GF110 chip based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 40 nm process. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a die size of 520 mm², for a density of 5.8 million transistors per square millimeter. The RTX 4060 packs more than six times the transistors into less than a third of the die area, a direct result of the process node difference.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units, along with 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores. The GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units, with no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The shading unit count alone gives the RTX 4060 a six-fold advantage in raw shader throughput. The pixel rate for the RTX 4060 is 118.1 GPixel/s, compared to 24.70 GPixel/s for the GTX 580, and the texture rate is 236.2 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s.

Memory configurations also differ. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s and an effective memory clock of 17 Gbps. The GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s and an effective memory clock of 4 Gbps. Although the GTX 580 has a wider memory bus, the RTX 4060 still achieves higher total bandwidth due to the much faster memory clock. The RTX 4060 also supports the PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the GTX 580 uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

Feature support is another major differentiator. The RTX 4060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and it includes dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads. The GTX 580 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded. Its display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the RTX 4060 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only head-to-head benchmark in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The RTX 4060 scores 95057, while the GTX 580 scores 15283. The RTX 4060 wins by 522%, meaning its score is over five times higher. This is not a marginal victory; it is a dominant one. In OpenCL compute workloads, which stress raw shader throughput and memory bandwidth, the RTX 4060's combination of 3072 shading units, faster memory, and modern architecture produces a result that dwarfs the older card.

The absence of other shared benchmarks means the database cannot directly compare the two cards in DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, DirectX 12, Vulkan, or Passmark workloads. However, the RTX 4060's individual scores in those tests provide context. Its Passmark DirectX 9 score is 236, DirectX 10 is 103, DirectX 11 is 175, and DirectX 12 is 76. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 48643, and its Passmark G2D score is 1037. These results indicate strong performance across a range of APIs, but without corresponding GTX 580 scores, a direct percentage comparison is not possible for those workloads.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The RTX 4060 averages 17639 across its ten recorded tests, while the GTX 580 averages 15283 across its single test. The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and the GTX 580 at the 58th percentile. In the context of their nearest rivals, the RTX 4060 is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which is 0.2% behind, and slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M at 0.3% behind. The GTX 580 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, which is within 0.1% of its score.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, while the GTX 580 has an average score of 15283.

Q: What is the result of the shared Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RTX 4060 scores 95057, and the GTX 580 scores 15283, giving the RTX 4060 a 522% advantage.

Q: Does the GTX 580 support ray tracing?

A: No, the GTX 580 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, whereas the RTX 4060 has 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What APIs does each card support?

A: The RTX 4060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 580 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support recorded.

Q: What are the process nodes for these two cards?

A: The RTX 4060 is built on TSMC's 5 nm process, while the GTX 580 is built on TSMC's 40 nm process.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a straightforward conclusion: the RTX 4060 is the superior card in every measurable way. It wins the only shared benchmark by 522%, has a higher average benchmark score of 17639 versus 15283, and sits at a higher percentile of all GPUs at 61st versus 58th. It offers modern features like ray tracing cores, tensor cores, and Vulkan support, none of which are available on the GTX 580. Its memory subsystem delivers more bandwidth at 272.0 GB/s compared to 192.4 GB/s, despite a narrower bus, and its shader count of 3072 units is six times the GTX 580's 512 units.

For users considering these two cards, the choice depends on the workload. The RTX 4060 is the clear pick for any modern application that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan, ray tracing, or AI-accelerated features. The GTX 580, with its single recorded benchmark and no Vulkan support, is limited to legacy workloads and older APIs. The GTX 580's nearest rivals in the database include the RTX 2060 and the RX 7600, which are essentially tied with it in average score, while the RTX 4060 sits alongside the Radeon HD 7790 and Radeon 780M. The performance gap between the two cards is not close, and the RTX 4060 is the recommended choice for anyone needing strong compute performance, modern API support, or ray tracing capabilities.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification category. The RTX 4060 uses the AD107 chip on a 5 nm process with 18,900 million transistors and a 159 mm² die size, while the GTX 580 uses the GF110 chip on a 40 nm process with 3,000 million transistors and a 520 mm² die size. The RTX 4060 has 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, plus 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores; the GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with no RT or tensor cores. Clock speeds show a base of 1830 MHz and boost of 2460 MHz for the RTX 4060, while the GTX 580 has no base or boost clock recorded. Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) with a 128-bit bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth for the RTX 4060, versus 1536 MB of GDDR5 at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) with a 384-bit bus and 192.4 GB/s bandwidth for the GTX 580. Pixel rates are 118.1 GPixel/s versus 24.70 GPixel/s, texture rates are 236.2 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s, and FP32 compute is 15.11 TFLOPS versus 1.581 TFLOPS. The RTX 4060 has a TDP of 115 W with a 1x 12-pin connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the GTX 580 has a TDP of 244 W with 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors and a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RTX 4060 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and offers 1x HDMI 2.1 plus 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 580 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 and offers 2x DVI plus 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The RTX 4060 is 240 mm long, 111 mm high, and 40 mm wide, while the GTX 580 is 267 mm long and 111 mm high, with no width recorded. Both are dual-slot cards. The RTX 4060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 580 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support.