GeForce RTX 2050 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 2050

2018Core: 1515 MHzBoost: 1710 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018Core: 1168 MHzBoost: 1284 MHz

Similar parts

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GeForce RTX 2050 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 2050

4 GB 215

7,714

+1.1%

GeForce GTX 880M SLI

GeForce GTX 1050 3GB

GeForce GTX 770

GeForce GTX 970XM FORCE

GeForce GTX 1660

GeForce GTX 1080

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

GeForce RTX 3070 Ti

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

16 GB 150

7,633

0.0%

Radeon R9 270 / R7 370

Radeon RX 5300M

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

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 RTX 2050 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP 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 RTX 2050 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP: 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 RTX 2050

2018

Why buy it

✅14.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.4 vs 33.3 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌43.3% higher power demand at 215W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018

Why buy it

✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 215W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2050 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
❌Older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌
52.7% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.3 vs 51.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2050 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 14.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.1% in PassMark G3D (7,714 vs 7,633), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM and the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce RTX 2050 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 2050 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $79 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 54.3% (51.4 vs 33.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce RTX 2050 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 580 2048SP has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 2050 vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP Technical Specifications

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

GeForce RTX 2050

The GeForce RTX 2050 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 20 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1710 MHz. It has 2944 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 215W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,714 points. Launch price was $699.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1168 MHz to 1284 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,633 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce RTX 2050 scores 7,714 and the Radeon RX 580 2048SP reaches 7,633 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce RTX 2050 is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP uses GCN 4.0, both on 12 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,944 (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Raw compute: 10.07 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 5.259 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Boost clocks: 1710 MHz vs 1284 MHz.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
G3D Mark Score	7,714+1%	7,633
Architecture	Turing	GCN 4.0
Process Node	12 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2944+44%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	10.07 TFLOPS+91%	5.259 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1710 MHz+33%	1284 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	184+44%	128
L1 Cache	2.9 MB+480%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 2050 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 2050 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 2050 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 580 2048SP gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 112 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce RTX 2050 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580 2048SP. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — the GeForce RTX 2050 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	16 GB+300%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	112 GB/s	224 GB/s+100%
Bus Width	64-bit	256-bit+300%
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
DirectX	12.2+2%	12
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8.0 (GeForce RTX 2050) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP11 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 2050) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP).

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Encoder	NVENC 8.0	VCE 3.4
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP11	UVD 6.3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)	H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 2050 draws 215W versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 150W — a 35.6% difference. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 450W (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Power connectors: 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 241mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
TDP	215W	150W-30%
Recommended PSU	300W-33%	450W
Power Connector	6-pin	8-pin
Length	0mm	241mm
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	35.9	50.9+42%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 2050 came in at $150, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP launched at $229. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 2050 was 34.5% cheaper ($79 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.4 (GeForce RTX 2050) vs 33.3 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) — the GeForce RTX 2050 offers 54.4% better value.

Feature	GeForce RTX 2050	Radeon RX 580 2048SP
MSRP	$150-34%	$229
Performance per Dollar	51.4+54%	33.3
Codename	TU104	Polaris 20
Release	September 20 2018	October 15 2018
Ranking	#94	#334

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