GeForce GTX 580M vs Quadro M520

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 580M

2011Core: 620 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Quadro M520

2017Core: 1041 MHzBoost: 1019 MHz

GeForce GTX 580M vs Quadro M520 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 580M vs Quadro M520 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 580M vs Quadro M520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 580M

2011

Why buy it

  • 69.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

  • 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
  • 300% higher power demand at 100W vs 25W.

Quadro M520

2017

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($200 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Draws 25W instead of 100W, a 75W reduction.
  • More future proof: Maxwell (2014−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 580M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2017 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 580M is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 69.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro M520 instead at 1,913 vs 1,878, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 580M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro M520 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Quadro M520 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 580M has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 580M vs Quadro M520 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 580M

The GeForce GTX 580M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 28 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 620 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,878 points.

NVIDIA

Quadro M520

The Quadro M520 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 11 2017. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1041 MHz to 1019 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,913 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 580M scores 1,878 and the Quadro M520 reaches 1,913 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 580M is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Quadro M520 uses Maxwell, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTX 580M) vs 384 (Quadro M520). Raw compute: 0.9523 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580M) vs 0.7995 TFLOPS (Quadro M520).

FeatureGeForce GTX 580MQuadro M520
G3D Mark Score
1,878
1,913+2%
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
Maxwell
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
384
384
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.9523 TFLOPS+19%
0.7995 TFLOPS
ROPs
32+300%
8
TMUs
64+300%
16
L1 Cache
512 KB+300%
128 KB
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 580M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro M520 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580MQuadro M520
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 580M and 64-bit on the Quadro M520. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (GeForce GTX 580M) vs 1 MB (Quadro M520) — the Quadro M520 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580MQuadro M520
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.5 MB
1 MB+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 580M draws 100W versus the Quadro M520's 25W — a 120% difference. The Quadro M520 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 580M) vs 350W (Quadro M520). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580MQuadro M520
TDP
100W
25W-75%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
PCIe-powered
Slots
0
Temp (Load)
95°C
Perf/Watt
18.8
76.5+307%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Quadro M520 (2017 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 580MQuadro M520
MSRP
$200
Codename
GF114
GM108
Release
June 28 2011
January 11 2017
Ranking
#700
#695

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