Arc A580 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
Performance-wise the Arc A580 is out front, noticeably faster, roughly 14% up on the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.
Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)
Comparable or lower specs
Arc A580 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Arc A580 vs GeForce RTX 2060 12GB
The Arc A580 is noticeably faster, around 14% ahead of the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Arc A580 starts at $228 GBP against $287 GBP for the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Arc A580 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 44%.
Power & Efficiency
The Arc A580 sips power at 175W next to the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB's 184W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU. Its more modern Alchemist architecture on a TSMC N6 process is part of why it does more with each watt.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The GeForce RTX 2060 12GB's 12GB (vs 8GB on the Arc A580) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.
Generation & Longevity
The Arc A580 is roughly 2 years newer than the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB (Alchemist vs Turing), 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 RTX 2060 12GB 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 RTX 2060 12GB?
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 RTX 2060 12GB if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Arc A580 better than the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Arc A580 or the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB?
Is the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB worth the extra $59 GBP over the Arc A580?
Does the GeForce RTX 2060 12GB have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: Arc A580 or GeForce RTX 2060 12GB?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce RTX 2060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Alchemist | Turing |
| Process Node | TSMC N6 | TSMC 12nm |
| CUDA Cores (Shading Units / CUDA Cores) | 3,072✓ | 2,176 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 24 | — |
| Tensor / AI Cores | 384 | — |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce RTX 2060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,700 MHz✓ | 1,470 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2,000 MHz✓ | 1,650 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce RTX 2060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 8 GB | 12 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit✓ | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 16 Gbps✓ | 14 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 512 GB/s✓ | 336 GB/s |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Arc A580 | GeForce RTX 2060 12GB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 175 W✓ | 184 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Oct 2023 | Dec 2021 |
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.