Radeon RX 580 vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
Performance-wise the Radeon RX 6500 XT is out front, significantly faster, roughly 33% up on the Radeon RX 580. Value tips toward the Radeon RX 580, though: $616 BRL cheaper for what you get.
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Radeon RX 6500 XT vs Radeon RX 580: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX 6500 XT vs Radeon RX 580
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is significantly faster, around 33% ahead of the Radeon RX 580. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX 580 starts at $730 BRL against $1,346 BRL for the Radeon RX 6500 XT. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 580 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~38% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 580 still sits about $501 BRL above its $229 BRL MSRP. The Radeon RX 6500 XT still sits about $1,146 BRL above its $200 BRL MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 6500 XT sips power at 113W next to the Radeon RX 580's 185W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU. Its more modern RDNA 2 architecture on a TSMC N6 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Radeon RX 580's 8GB (vs 4GB on the Radeon RX 6500 XT) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads. The Radeon RX 580's memory is also faster — 256 GB/s versus 144 GB/s (256-bit vs 64-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 6500 XT is roughly 5 years newer than the Radeon RX 580 (RDNA 2 vs GCN 4.0 (Polaris)), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 580 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Choose the Radeon RX 6500 XT if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 580 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX 6500 XT better than the Radeon RX 580?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 580 or the Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Is the Radeon RX 6500 XT worth the extra $616 BRL over the Radeon RX 580?
Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 580 or Radeon RX 6500 XT?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon RX 580 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | GloFo 14nm | TSMC N6 |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 2,304✓ | 1,024 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | — | 16 |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon RX 580 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,257 MHz | 2,310 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,340 MHz | 2,815 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon RX 580 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB✓ | 4 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 64-bit |
| Memory Speed | 8 Gbps | 18 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 256 GB/s✓ | 144 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon RX 580 | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| TDP | 185 W | 113 W✓ |
| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |
| Released | Apr 2017 | Jan 2022 |
