AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB evaluate: a modest GPU refresh breeding extra dear OC playing cards

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB review

You simply have to recover from it, you ungrateful git. Wipe that look of disappointment off your face proper now; Auntie and Uncle AMD are going to be right here any second and it’s essential say thanks for the good new Radeon RX 580 they’ve simply introduced you. Yes, I do know it’s primarily the identical factor they obtained you final yr, however see, it’s obtained a brand new badge and prices extra.

Times, they’re a-changing, with new GPUs are popping up on a regular basis. But in order for you the best graphics cards proper now these are they.

Look, I do know you had been hoping they might be bringing you one in all them new-fangled Vega GPUs, however Uncle Raja remains to be engaged on that so that you gained’t get to play with one for one more few months. At least not till Auntie Lisa says so in any case.

We’re all upset. We would have most well-liked the RX 500 collection of playing cards to reach with a bang and a strong new Radeon GPU straight off the bat too. Instead we have a variety of primarily rebadged RX 400 collection playing cards, however these $230 (£220) Radeon RX 580 8GB playing cards are nonetheless superb. And truly most of them are dearer than that too.

They’ve additionally obtained a slight clockspeed bump and retain all of the spectacular Vulkan and DirectX 12 efficiency the primary Polaris GPUs supplied too. C’mon be grateful, some web cafes in China are nonetheless working on R7 370s, so simply bloody cheer up, okay?

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AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB specs

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB specs

Polaris Enhanced. That’s what AMD are calling their new vary of graphics playing cards, however they’re most undoubtedly not taking a look at this RX 500 collection to beencouraging anybody who spent their money on a last-gen Polaris card to improve. Despite calling the GPUs on the coronary heart of each the brand new RX 580 and RX 570 Polaris 20 it’s nonetheless actually the identical 14nm Polaris 10 chip they used to nice impact within the RX 480 and RX 470 playing cards.

The ‘enhanced’ bit comes from the truth that 12 months on from the preliminary Polaris launch each the 14nm FinFET know-how and the 4th Gen GCN structure used within the newest AMD Radeon playing cards have had a full yr to mature. That means the manufacturing course of and yields should have improved and the ensuing GPUs needs to be extra sturdy.

That’s the primary purpose AMD are in a position to launch the brand new RX 580 playing cards with a better base clockspeed than the reference RX 480 playing cards noticed at launch. The base/enhance clocks of the unique RX 480 are 1,120MHz and 1,266MHz respectively, whereas the reference spec of the RX 580’s Polaris 20 chip is ready at 1,257MHz and 1,340MHz. With the overall tightening up of the GPU’s manufacturing course of they will now ship out playing cards utilizing just about the earlier chip’s peak efficiency as a place to begin to work up from.

Though when you had been hoping for a similar 40 compute unit, 2,560 core, Polaris GPU Microsoft are transport with the upcoming, AMD-powered, Project Scorpio console you’re going to be upset. Outside of the reference clockspeed bump the RX 580 is similar GPU beast because the RX 480. The core configuration is equivalent – the 14nm Polaris 20 within the new card remains to be sporting 36 compute items (CUs) with 2,304 stream processors unfold out throughout them. Alongside which are the identical 144 texture items and 32 ROPs. 

The reminiscence system is similar too, with 8GB of GDDR5 delivering a full 256GB/s of reminiscence bandwidth. And, just like the 400 collection playing cards, there shall be each 4GB and 8GB variations of the RX 580 in addition to the RX 570. The base value for the 4GB RX 580 shall be $199 (£185) when you’re prepared to take successful on the body buffer aspect.

All that appears to have actually modified then, clockspeed hike apart, is the brand new RX 580 playing cards have a better TDP to permit for the improved clockspeeds the brand new designs are transport with. Those clockspeeds above are simply the urged reference design specs, however the reality AMD haven’t truly created any reference samples for the brand new playing cards signifies their refresh/rebadge standing and in addition that the majority RX 580 playing cards will in all probability be costly manufacturing facility overclocked ones.

We’ve been despatched a comparatively customary RX 580 from XFX and a considerably overclocked model from Asus with the spectacular STRIX cooling array. Unfortunately they each appear to be retailing for lots greater than the urged value AMD have given for the 8GB RX 580. The Asus STRIX will be discovered for $300 (£300) and the extra modest XFX card is transport at $260.

The XFX card runs at 1,366MHz, whereas the Asus STRIX card hits a heady 1,411MHz out of the field. The authentic STRIX version of the RX 480, however, runs at a default 1,330MHz. That itself was a reasonably hefty enhance in factory-overclock phrases, however the brand new variant from Asus is nearly 100MHz forward of that.

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB benchmarks

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB benchmarks

 

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB efficiency

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB performance

The gaming efficiency is all just about as you’d count on. The new 8GB Radeon RX 580 performs a little bit higher than the 8GB Radeon RX 480, due to these bumped up clockspeeds. There’s no magic in play right here, the improved Polaris GPUs are extra sturdy and happier to run at greater frequencies, so the 1,411MHz of the Asus RX 580 STRIX card is rock stable working no matter you throw its method.

There are a number of inconsistencies although, seemingly due to altering pre-release drivers and software program updates. On our in any other case unchanged check rig the Vulkan efficiency appears to have dropped off a little bit with the pre-release driver since we pitched the STRIX variations of Asus’ RX 480 and GTX 1060 in opposition to one another.

For essentially the most half although we’re primarily speaking a couple of related efficiency delta to that you just’d get between a reference clocked card and an overclocked variant. Between the Asus RX 480 and RX 580 playing cards, with the identical cooler, the distinction is round 10% for essentially the most half. Though in that particular occasion we’re placing two overclocked variations in opposition to each other. The extra conservatively clocked XFX RX 580 although remains to be, normally, in a position to ship greater body charges than even the closely overclocked RX 480.

The proven fact that, regardless of the clockspeed and TDP hike, Asus are nonetheless in a position to ship the identical spectacular cooling and acoustic efficiency from their STRIX playing cards exhibits how succesful each the Polaris enhancements and their very own chip-chillers are. The 0dB efficiency of the Asus card, the place the lazy followers don’t get off the bed for something lower than 60°C, is unbelievable, making for a wonderfully quiet gaming expertise. The cooler on the XFX RX 580 although is demonstrably weaker on that entrance than the Asus STRIX version. 

That stated, the general most platform energy has jumped fairly significantly with the newer Polaris design, particularly on the STRIX card, to the purpose the place this overclocked Asus is a few 20% extra thirsty for energy than the unique reference Radeon RX 480.

The elephant within the room although is the efficiency of the competing Nvidia playing cards. The GTX 1060 in 6GB trim nonetheless retains a gaming lead in all however the Deus Ex and Hitman DirectX 12 assessments, although I count on Doom’s Vulkan scores are prone to change with the discharge drivers. Even the 3GB GTX 1060 has nonetheless obtained some spectacular gaming chops down on the decrease finish of the decision spectrum. Though in actual phrases it’s tough to advocate a 3GB card as a wise buy proper now, particularly when the 4GB RX 580 and RX 570 playing cards are priced so competitively. 

For correct implementations of the extra trendy APIs the Radeon silicon has the sting, however in legacy video games you’ll be able to see the Nvidia playing cards nonetheless holding sway.

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB verdict

AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB verdict

A pal at AMD tried to second-guess the conclusion of my RX 580 evaluate, and I hate to disappoint… While the clockspeed bump is actually welcome, since you could find 8GB RX 480s out within the channel for a less expensive value than these virtually equivalent, however dearer RX 580s, we’d advocate making an attempt to select one of many last-gen playing cards up as a substitute when you’re out there for a brand new GPU.

AMD knew this could be the response and, to be sincere, they’re simply as comfortable so that you can exit and clear the prevailing inventory of RX 400 collection playing cards as they might be so that you can decide up a model new RX 580. It’s not about providing a tangible improve for anybody working an equal 400 collection GPU; the brand new vary is extra about giving their GPU vary a little bit of a spruce up earlier than the Vega GPUs arrive in a number of months, shaking issues up on the high finish of the graphics card market.

This rebadging and refreshing is one thing each AMD and Nvidia have performed in generations previous, however I nonetheless hoped there may be a little bit extra to a minimum of the top-end RX 500 playing cards than only a frequency bump. Especially contemplating we all know there’s a Polaris chip floating round Redmond with a full 40 CUs and a pair of,560 4th Gen GCN cores inside it. That would make a tasty RX 590 in the event that they wished to get one in forward of the Vega graphics playing cards.

The actual battle for me with this AMD refresh although is that they’ve solely simply squeezed into high spot as our decide of the perfect graphics playing cards. They managed to discover a method into our hearts as a result of the costs of the 8GB RX 480 ended up dropping to the purpose the place we might forgive the remaining efficiency delta between it and the 6GB GTX 1060. But with the RX 580s now showing, largely in overclocked trim, for lots greater than the last-gen launch value issues would possibly nicely swap round once more. Especially because it seems to be like Nvidia may be dropping their costs to make issues much more awkward for AMD.

There’s no argument that the RX 580 is superior to the RX 480, and the Asus STRIX design nonetheless makes for an excellent graphics card design, however not by sufficient to make the newest card an automated determination to select it over an equal 1st Gen Polaris. And as a result of AMD have primarily given their companions free rein to clock their playing cards super-high you are going to see a number of these overclocked playing cards. At round $300 (£300) the RX 580 then actually does not make any sense – it then begins to stumble upon GeForce playing cards with a lot better efficiency.

Once the inventory of the 400 collection playing cards has vanished, and RX 580 costs drop to related ranges as their progenitors, it’s going to seemingly grow to be our go-to GPU, however undoubtedly not but and never costing this a lot.

 
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