RTX 2060 12GB vs RX M 580
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | RTX 2060 12GB | RX M 580 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 2,513 | 1,837 | +36.8% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 36 | 32 | +12.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 20 | 17 | +17.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 11 | 9 | +22.2% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 7.2 | 5.3 | +36.8% |
| VRAM | 12 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 336 | 224 | +50.0% |
| TDP (W) | 185 | 120 | — |
- RTX 2060 12GB averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 18% faster.
- RX M 580 draws less power (120W vs 185W).
Verdict: RTX 2060 12GB or RX M 580?
RTX 2060 12GB advantages
- 1440p gaming (+15%)
- 4K gaming (+18%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+27%)
- Video memory (+33%)
- Memory bandwidth (+33%)
RX M 580 advantages
- Power efficiency (+35%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 2060 12GB if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the RX M 580 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the RTX 2060 12GB if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
RTX 2060 12GB vs RX M 580: which should you choose?
RTX 2060 12GB — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2021, Turing) with 12 GB of GDDR6, averaging 20 fps at 1440p.
RX M 580 — AMD desktop graphics card (2017, Polaris) with 8 GB of GDDR5, averaging 17 fps at 1440p.
RTX 2060 12GB vs RX M 580: RTX 2060 12GB is faster for gaming. RTX 2060 12GB averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 18% faster. RX M 580 draws less power (120W vs 185W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RTX 2060 12GB averages 20 fps against 17. At 4K (11 vs 9 fps) VRAM (12GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 185 W versus 120 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the RTX 2060 12GB better than the RX M 580?
RTX 2060 12GB is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RTX 2060 12GB averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 18% faster.
What is the main difference between the RTX 2060 12GB and the RX M 580?
RTX 2060 12GB averages 20 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 18% faster. RX M 580 draws less power (120W vs 185W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 2060 12GB if you game at 1440p. Choose the RX M 580 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.