Arc A580 vs GeForce GTX 1080
The Arc A580 pulls ahead here — substantially quicker, about 23% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1080. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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Arc A580 vs GeForce GTX 1080: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Arc A580 vs GeForce GTX 1080
The Arc A580 is significantly faster, around 23% ahead of the GeForce GTX 1080. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the Arc A580 is comfortable at 1080p, while the GeForce GTX 1080 is better matched to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 1080 at $224 EUR, $51 EUR under the Arc A580's $275 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Arc A580 wins on performance-per-dollar. The GeForce GTX 1080 is trading below its $599 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The Arc A580 still sits about $96 EUR above its $179 EUR MSRP.
Generation & Longevity
The Arc A580 is roughly 7 years newer than the GeForce GTX 1080 (Alchemist vs Pascal), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the Arc A580 brings Intel XeSS upscaling and AV1 encoding, while the GeForce GTX 1080 offers NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: Arc A580 or GeForce GTX 1080?
The Arc A580 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce GTX 1080 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Arc A580 better than the GeForce GTX 1080?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Arc A580 or the GeForce GTX 1080?
Is the Arc A580 worth the extra $51 EUR over the GeForce GTX 1080?
Which should you buy: Arc A580 or GeForce GTX 1080?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Alchemist | Pascal |
| Process Node | TSMC N6 | TSMC 16nm |
| CUDA Cores (Shading Units / CUDA Cores) | 3,072✓ | 2,560 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 24 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 384 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,700 MHz✓ | 1,607 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2,000 MHz✓ | 1,733 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5X |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 16 Gbps✓ | 10 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 512 GB/s✓ | 320 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 175 W✓ | 180 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Oct 2023 | May 2016 |
Related Reading
Intel Arc A580: The Reality of Budget Gaming in 2026
Between aggressive price cuts and the arrival of the Battlemage generation, is the Arc A580 still a realistic choice for 1080p gaming?
Intel Arc Alchemist in 2026: Is a Used A580, A750 or A770 Still Worth Buying?
Every Arc Alchemist card is discontinued, and Battlemage replaced them. So what does a used A580, A750 or A770 still buy you — and at what price does it beat a new Arc B580? An honest retrospective on Intel's first discrete GPUs.