There’s a considerable number of GPUs for a single card. It’s because of conventions used by AMD and Nvidia. What they do is send away their chipsets to different brands to companies so these renowned brands can shape the chipsets into a working GPU. These days, AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card is a hot topic because of a surfeit of reasons.
Well, the recently recorded evidence speaks volumes for this particular card. It has been competing against Nvidia in a marvelously professional way. We came across that it was able to supersede GTX 1060 without budging, and was standing tall with GTX 1070; although, both the titles of Nvidia (1070 and 1060) are more expensive than RX 580 GPU. That’s why we want to expand this topic for you, and recommend a couple of the best RX 580 cards for gaming.
Before we start enlisting all the high-end variants, it’s worth penning down all the important factors to consider before buying any XYZ variant. Because what happens is, people usually overlook minor details, and then wine about the card malfunctioning or not juicing the maximum rated potential.
What’s the difference between 4GB and 8GB versions of the card?
When talking about AMD Radeon RX 580, we usually encounter two discrete versions of the product. It has nothing to do with the variants, but the memory module itself. Generally, the gamers refer to the 8GB graphics model to be superseding and phenomenal in giving out the best possible performance ratio.
To be honest, a 4GB profile is not different; although it has some limitations, you would have to tone down your graphics settings on a couple of games since the GPU memory is only 4GB; hence, there is no 4k gaming experience. But, hey, wait! It’s not a valid reason to rate the card just because it’s not living up to your expectations.
In my opinion, both the cards are best for their purpose. You can use the 8GB version for 4k gaming, and the 4GB version for simple mid-high gaming settings. It’s worth mentioning, do not bother going for the 8Gb version unless you have a 4k display, and a VR headset, since it will only end up as overkill to your system. From the recent reports, it was evident that the system majorly consumed only 4-5GB of the card on ultra-settings, so what’s the use of the remaining memory?
How does the best RX 580 card for gaming perform in games?
Speaking from personal experience, I was once an AMD RX 580 fanboy but now have upgraded. Anyways, the card is exceptional when rendering and gaming are concerned. It sorts of put everything at one’s disposal. The card can pitch in around 60-100 FPS in modern games (high/max settings).
Forsooth, there’s an evident drop in FPS when you shift to 1440P gaming. In these settings, the card can curb around 40-60 FPS on decent/medium settings. Well, in some of the GPU intensive games like Code Vein and Final Fantasy XV the GPU was able to push at a locked frame rate of 60 FPS with little to no FPS drops. That’s fascinating, isn’t it?
Do you know what’s mind-blowing? You can overclock your RX 580 to its maximum rated frequency, and gain more FPS in games. That’s just purely wonderful.
Other key factors to consider!
- Clock Speed: Many people disregard it as something extra, but when you are considering the best one out of the variants, you need to ensure that the clock speed of the card is appreciable. In simpler terms, clock speed refers to the number of processes a graphics card does in one second. In short, it’s the frequency. It’s for your benefit to compare all the base clock frequencies of the modulated chipsets and choose the one which suits your system.
- VRAM: It indicates the amount of memory your GPU will be holding. For example, RX 580 8Gb, refers to the card using 8GB of video memory. It has nothing to do with the Random-Access memory of your system. Do not mistake it for something else. Your game will be loaded into system RAM, and all the shaders/textures will be loaded into the VRAM. The latest cards use HBM2 or GDDR5X, which is nothing but an advanced version of GDDR5 memory.
- Overclocking: It’s the GPU’s potential to accelerate its base frequency to a higher one just for kicking in the engines at full speed. Now you can play games at a more stable frequency and might be able to render objects at ease. In particular, AMD Ryzen 580 has the potential of overclocking, and it varies from variant to variant. Do pay heed to different cards, and their overclocking frequencies might help you in selection.
- Length: Dimensions, in general, are not a problem, but at times users get hold of a length that doesn’t fit on the motherboard. For safety, it’s always better to cross-check the motherboard’s dimensions with your cards.
Now we will be proceeding to the final session of the article. Hold your reins, as the coming session of the article, will focus on a product review of a few variants of RX 580.
List of 5 Best RX 580 Cards for Gaming (Summarized tabled)
| Model | Clock Speed (base/boost) | VRAM | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1257 MHZ / 1411 MHz | 8GB | 4.6/5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 1257 MHz/1366 MHz | 8GB | 4.4/5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 1257 MHz/1386 MHz | 4/8 GB | 4.3/5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 1257 MHz/1380 MHz | 8GB | 4.3/5 | Buy on Amazon | |
| 1257 MHz/ 1425 MHz | 8GB | 4.3/5 | Buy on Amazon |
Editor’s Choice
Sapphire Radeon Nitro + RX 580 is our top competitor. It was able to supersede all of the candidates on the list of Best RX 580 Graphics Cards because of its exceptionally strong cooling solution, and withstanding gaming performance. It was noted that the card was able to tune in most of the complex calculations easily. Not to mention, many users were happy to have a peek inside the realm of multi-tasking. The card was able to function multiple of Windows’ processes without budging- no wonder why it won’t make the Editor’s choice award.
Features
For the basics, you get hold of an 8 GB GDDR5 8000 MHz effective memory, 2304 stream processors, 1440p gaming enabled, Dual X cooling, and Nitro Glow. There’s more to it. As I mentioned, the card uses the Dual X cooling system, which is new to the AMD processors. It’s only featured in this RX 580 card and is doing wonders. When dissecting the layout, we came across that the card makes use of two massive fans, but surprisingly are enormously silent. The fans have a 95mm blade design, which propels heat at an increased rate; thus, lowering the temperatures of your GPU. Not to mention, these fans feature dual ball bearings, which significantly increases the lifespan of the fans.
For the sapphire quick-connect, it’s a detecting tool that comes with the card. All you have to do is install it over your system when installing the drivers, and bingo it’s done. For your ease, you can simply use the diagnostic options in the tool to tweak the fan profiles and suspect any faulty activities inside the fan module. It’s a great tool to meddle with. On top of that, the card also offers a Nitro glow, which is nothing but a dedicated RGB system. No, you are getting me wrong. It’s not like that the whole card will light up. There’s this logo of sapphire that will constantly change colors. You can switch on different profiles and modes as per your will.
It’s worth mentioning that the card is compatible with VR, making it another budget-friendly card to have such an option. All you have to do is connect a decent VR headset, and you are good to go.
Design
For the design, the card has a unique backplate that provides rigidity and helps in cooling your card. On top of that, you also get to hold 200,000-hour capacitors made from high-polymer, aluminum capacitors for increased durability. Did I mention that the card is suitable for aesthetics? Well, yeah, bud. It has an on-sleek design that flashes across the room. Flaunt about it already!
- Performative and overclockable
- Enticing shroud and backplate design
- RGB Logo
- None
Runner up
MSI VGA RX 580 ARMOR won the runner-up award. It’s not because the card lacks something huge, but only a couple of features pulled it down the lines. Anyways, MSI has never disappointed their potential customers-no wonder why the card is doing so well. From the recent reports, clear conclusions can be drawn that are extravagant and bring in user-friendly features. On top of that, the card has decent price tags, making it accessible to most of the populace.
Features
First things first, the card offers a boost clock of 1366 MHz, TORX fan for a cooling solution, Zero Frozr for keeping a noise-free environment, and advanced airflow control technology. These features focus on the thermal cooling solution of your card. When TORX, Zero Frozr, and airflow technology combine, it gives you something enormous: highly reduced temperatures. That’s fascinating, isn’t it? On top of that, you can switch fan profile modes through Afterburner overclocking utility software. You can use the same software for overclocking your MSI card. All you have to do is bring up the graph, and set the located frequency points in correlation with the voltages, and bingo it’s done. It’s worth mentioning that the software is from MSI themselves (Afterburner), so it’s more compatible with AMD cards than the Nvidia ones.
In addition to that, the GPU offers military class 4 components, and Armor 2x thermal design. Not to mention, you can play VR games on this particular variant without any known issues. All you have to do is find a decent VR headset, and you are good to go. Moreover, the card supports FreeSync technology, which is nothing but an anti-tearing feature. It helps is smoothing out all the frozen, torn apart pixels on the screen because of the unmatched refresh rate.
Design
For the design, you get hold of a classy black and white structure that flashes across the room. As the name suggests, “Armor” brings in all the possible looks of having an armored body, and believe me, it looks out of this world. It’s worth adding that you have multiple heat sinks and aluminum fins to decrease the escalating temperatures. All in all, the MSI variant is worth a shot if you care about performance and look alike.
- Affordable
- Decent performance ratio
- Lacks backplate
You might be wondering what sort of variant this is. Verily, you mustn’t have heard of XFX making a lot of GPU variants, but it’s one hell of a catch. Users were happy with its simplicity and how it tackled the majority of the temperature and overclocking issues without budging in.
Features
The basic features include FinFET 12nm technology, PCI Express 3.0, AMD Crossfire technology, AMD Xconnect Ready, Windows 10 support, Direct X 12 support, AMD Chill, AMD Virtual Super-resolution, AMD Relive, FreeSync 2, Frame rate target control, Eyefinity technology, Adrenalin software, HDMI and DisplayPort. Not to mention, the card is best suited for rendering because of the support of OpenGL 4.5 and OpenCL. With this in mind, we can say the XFX Radeon RX 580 is the best suited for gamers and renderers alike. It’s because of the ability to render objects on blenders with 95% confidence levels, which is humongous.
For the overclocking capabilities, yes, it’s there. All you have to do is tweak the settings from BIOS, and you are good to go. It’s worth mentioning, to tackle the soaring temperatures, the card makes use of Zero dB Auto load sensing fans (passive cooling), an extremely powerful cooling solution. On top of that, you get to hold of VR compatibility, a 4k gaming experience, and a 3-year warranty.
Design
Let me warn you that the card has a very simple design, so if you are expecting something flashy and colorful, then I’m sorry to say, this card is not for you. It’s built from a metallic body to protect it against increasing temperatures. Not to mention, the card has heat sinks and aluminum fins for heat radiation. On top of that, the radiator (fan) is built from amazing bearings, making it propel air at a greater rate.
- Performative
- Available at low price tags
- Valuable card
- Doesn’t look appealing
I like this variant more because it’s related to ASUS. Yes, it’s expensive. That’s the only reason why people are not into buying this specific variant. Nonetheless, it’s a great card to meddle with if you are into overclocking and gaming. Do you know what’s paramount about this variant? It has three super-fast fans that work in passive mode and helps in reducing the deadly temperatures.
Features
The card is compatible with VR technology, which means that you only need a decent VR headset to play games at 4k. With this in mind, you can also experience 4k gaming. It’s not impossible because although the card may subside indefinitely on some of the AAA titles, it’s still a great card to turn on 4k resolution. All you need is a working 4k monitor at 60Hz. Not to mention, the card comes with a MaxContact technology, patented Wing-blade IP5X certified fans, ASUS FanConnect II, Super alloy power II for durability, ASUS aura sync for powering on RGB system and HDMI ports. On top of that, you also get to bask in the GPU Tweak II feature that enhances your gaming system’s performance.
It’s worth adding that the card can pitch in more FPS than any other variant because of a relatively higher frequency module. You also get to overclock the card at its maximum potential by simply paying a visit to the BIOS settings.
Design
To be honest, it’s a fresh doe. The card looks aesthetically pleasing and has attractive looks. On top of that, you get to hold a lot of heat sinks and aluminum shrouds for protection against heat. All in all, it’s a decent go-to card.
- Exceptional overclocking performance
- Premium design
- RGB profiles
- Great build quality
- Expensive
Verily, it’s a completely different variant. But it’s also true that the card brings in better-overclocking features than all the variants present on the list. You must be wondering, why would I even put an untested/unheard variant in the list. Let me assure you that PowerColor is a masterpiece variant, although it has its shortcomings but works efficiently regardless-even the price tags are decent.
Features
You get to hold Direct X 12, Vulkan, Chill, FreeSync 2, and Relive capture for the basic features. These are all the AMD proprietary features. Not to mention, you get to hold 2304 stream processors, 2000MHZ memory clock speed, and a fascinating cooling system. On top of that, the card blesses you with a mesmerizing backplate, overclocking profiles, MOS, 4×8 heat pipes, and LED light. You can channel the LED patterns through the BIOS by connecting them to the addressable header. The fans have two ball bearings that make the card more endurable in hot summers. Not to mention, these fans make use of passive cooling mode, which is a new norm in the gaming industry. It ensures that the noise levels remain below the threshold most of the time.
Design
In my opinion, the design looks cute. It is aesthetically pleasing and can attract potential customers. Not to mention, the fans have unique logos, which adds up to its beauty. Last but not least, the card is sprinkled with heat sinks everywhere hence protecting it from the high temperatures.
- Sturdy build
- Good for overclocking
- A bit pricier
Final thoughts
I hope the article was viable. I tried my best to address all the ensuing issues regarding variants, but there are a couple of dormant things and might wake up later. Those issues are for a later time; now, we should stick to the best RX 580 cards for gaming. Anyways, if you are going to ask for my recommendation, I would say Sapphire Radeon Nitro + RX 580 is the best card to go for in 2021. It’s loaded with all the important gaming features and is sort of future-proof (at least for a couple of years). I’m damn sure it won’t disappoint you.
If you have any queries regarding the products mentioned above, please let me know in the comments. I will try my best to answer them at the earliest.
FAQ’s
Hey, I’m Muhammad Bilal. I’m a tech fanatic (also read: Gamer), who loves scrutinizing fine details. I aim to strive hard in my respective fields (as a writer and software programmer). Before pursuing my majors in a university (right now in A-levels), I want to spend time exploring and reviewing the latest technology.