NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 Specifications
GeForce GTX 580 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
GTX 580 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GTX 580's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce GTX 580 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GTX 580's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce GTX 580 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GTX 580, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
GTX 580 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Fermi 2.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is built on NVIDIA's Fermi 2.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the GTX 580 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce GTX 580 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GTX 580 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce GTX 580 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce GTX 580 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GTX 580 Benchmark Scores
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations. OpenCL is widely supported across different GPU vendors and platforms. Higher scores benefit applications that leverage GPU acceleration for non-graphics workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby PerformersAbout NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is a Fermi 2.0 architecture part built on TSMC's 40 nm process, featuring 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die. This end-of-life product from the GeForce 500 generation holds a 57th percentile ranking among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15201. The data positions it as a direct competitor to much later and lower-tier parts, making its legacy performance characteristics particularly relevant for modern low-end comparisons.
Memory Subsystem
The GTX 580 ships with 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 384-bit bus interface, yielding a peak bandwidth of 192.4 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1002 MHz, translating to 4 Gbps effective data rate. This configuration was substantial for its 2010 release, providing a wide bus that is well-suited for high-resolution workloads where bandwidth demands scale with pixel throughput.
At high resolutions, the 192.4 GB/s figure becomes a critical bottleneck for this architecture. The 48 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 24.70 GPixel/s, meaning that memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are tightly balanced. The 384-bit bus width is the key asset here; it allows the card to maintain higher effective bandwidth utilization under load compared to narrower-bus designs of the same era. For modern titles at 1440p or above, the 1536 MB capacity will likely prove insufficient, causing texture thrashing, but the raw bandwidth remains competitive with entry-level parts from much later generations.
The memory subsystem's performance is best understood relative to the card's compute capabilities. With 512 shading units and 64 TMUs, the texture rate of 49.41 GTexel/s requires consistent memory feed. In practice, the 192.4 GB/s figure supports this texture rate adequately for older titles, but newer games with larger texture pools will expose the VRAM capacity limit before saturating bandwidth. The dual-slot cooler and 244 W TDP suggest that this memory configuration was designed for sustained desktop operation rather than power-constrained mobile use.
How It Compares
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM: The nearest rival in terms of raw score is the RTX 3050 OEM, with an average score of 15199 against the GTX 580's 15201. This represents a 0% delta, meaning the two perform identically in the dataset. The comparison is striking because the RTX 3050 OEM is a much newer architecture, yet the GTX 580's older, wider memory bus and higher fillrate capabilities compensate for its architectural age in compute tasks.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M: The GTX 965M scores 15109, placing it 0.6% behind the GTX 580. This is a mobile part, so the comparison highlights how the desktop GTX 580's power budget and memory bandwidth allow it to edge out a dedicated laptop GPU. The delta is small enough to be within run-to-run variance, but the direction favors the older desktop card.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti: The GTX 660 Ti scores 15303, which is 0.7% ahead of the GTX 580. This is the closest rival in the dataset, with the newer Kepler architecture providing slightly better average performance. The delta is negligible for gameplay purposes, indicating that the GTX 580 holds its own against a successor-generation chip with a different memory configuration.
AMD Radeon R9 M380: The R9 M380 leads this group with a score of 15504, putting it 2% ahead of the GTX 580. This is a mobile AMD part, and the margin, while still small, is the largest among the listed rivals. The delta suggests that the R9 M380's architecture offers better compute efficiency per watt, though the GTX 580's desktop design provides superior sustained throughput.
Benchmark Performance
The sole benchmark result for the GTX 580 is a Geekbench OpenCL score of 15201, which also serves as its average benchmark score. This places the card at the 57th percentile among all GPUs in the database, indicating that it outperforms a majority of tested parts despite being end-of-life. The score is derived from compute workloads that stress shading units and memory bandwidth, not gaming-specific rasterization.
Against the nearest rivals, the performance deltas are minimal but directionally informative. The GTX 580 sits exactly level with the RTX 3050 OEM (0% delta), demonstrating that raw compute performance has not advanced dramatically in this specific workload class over multiple generations. The 0.6% advantage over the GTX 965M is marginal, but it shows that a desktop card with a 244 W TDP can still outpace a mobile chip engineered for lower power envelopes.
The 0.7% deficit to the GTX 660 Ti is interesting because the 660 Ti typically has a narrower memory bus in other configurations, yet here it still edges ahead. This suggests that the GTX 580's 384-bit bus and 192.4 GB/s bandwidth are not fully utilized in the OpenCL test, or that the 660 Ti's architecture handles the specific compute kernels more efficiently. The 2% gap to the R9 M380 is the largest in the group, and while still small, it indicates that AMD's mobile architecture from a later period extracts more performance from similar memory bandwidth.
The FP32 throughput of 1.581 TFLOPS provides context for these scores. The 512 shading units operating at the given clocks produce this figure, which is modest by modern standards but was flagship-level at launch. The data shows that the GTX 580's compute capability remains relevant for legacy applications, but the lack of modern features like dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores limits its utility in current workloads beyond basic OpenCL tasks.
FAQ
Q: Does the GTX 580 support DirectX 12?
A: The card supports DirectX 12 (11_0), meaning it can run DX12 titles but only with the 11_0 feature level, which restricts access to many modern rendering features that require higher feature levels.
Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GTX 580?
A: The launch MSRP was 499 USD, which positioned it as a high-end enthusiast product at its November 2010 release.
Q: How does the GTX 580 compare to the GTX 660 Ti in benchmark scores?
A: The GTX 660 Ti scores 15303, which is 0.7% higher than the GTX 580's 15201, making the two effectively equivalent in compute performance.
Q: What memory configuration does the GTX 580 use?
A: It uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 192.4 GB/s of bandwidth with a memory clock of 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective).
Q: Is the GTX 580 still competitive with newer entry-level GPUs?
A: The data shows it scores 15201, exactly matching the RTX 3050 OEM's 15199 (0% delta), indicating that its compute performance is on par with a modern entry-level desktop part.
Q: What is the card's production status?
A: The GTX 580 is end-of-life, with its predecessor being the GeForce 400 series and its successor the GeForce 600 series.
Who Should Consider It
The GTX 580's benchmark data suggests it is suitable for users running legacy software or OpenCL compute workloads that do not require modern API features. With a score of 15201 and a 57th percentile ranking, it outperforms a significant portion of the GPU population, making it viable for 1080p gaming in older titles that fit within its 1536 MB VRAM capacity. The 192.4 GB/s bandwidth and 24.70 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for moderate resolutions, but users targeting 1440p or higher should look elsewhere, as the memory capacity will become a hard limit.
For those considering this card for current games, the comparison to the RTX 3050 OEM (0% delta) indicates that it can match a modern entry-level part in compute, but the lack of newer API support beyond DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 will restrict compatibility with titles that require Vulkan or higher DX12 feature levels. The card's 244 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU also imply a desktop use case with adequate cooling, as the dual-slot design and 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors are not suited for compact builds.
Users with legacy 1080p monitor setups and a library of games from the early 2010s will find the GTX 580's performance adequate, especially given its 0.6% edge over the GTX 965M and only 2% deficit to the R9 M380. However, the end-of-life status and lack of driver optimizations for modern titles mean that its practical utility is limited to compute tasks or retro gaming. The 49.41 GTexel/s texture rate and 1.581 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the highlights, but these are insufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming at current settings, making the GTX 580 a niche choice for benchmark enthusiasts or specific OpenCL workloads rather than a general-purpose daily driver.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GTX 580
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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