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.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP vs Radeon RX 780 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.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP vs Radeon RX 780: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $270 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 117.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.3 vs 15.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 180W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 780 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Radeon RX 780

2024

Why buy it

✅21.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌
117.9% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.3 vs 33.3 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌20% higher power demand at 180W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 780 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 21.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (7,658 vs 7,633), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 780 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer frame-generation stack, FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023) instead of FSR Frame Generation (2023), a 5nm process instead of 14nm, 60 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2024 generation instead of 2018. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 580 2048SP makes the most sense to buy today. It is $270 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 117.2% (33.3 vs 15.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon RX 780 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon RX 580 2048SP vs Radeon RX 780 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 780

The Radeon RX 780 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 11 2024. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2335 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,658 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 7,633 and the Radeon RX 780 reaches 7,658 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon RX 780 uses RDNA 3.0, both on 14 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 3,840 (Radeon RX 780). Raw compute: 5.259 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 35.87 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 780). Boost clocks: 1284 MHz vs 2335 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
G3D Mark Score	7,633	7,658
Architecture	GCN 4.0	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	14 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2048	3840+88%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.259 TFLOPS	35.87 TFLOPS+582%
Boost Clock	1284 MHz	2335 MHz+82%
ROPs	32	96+200%
TMUs	128	240+88%
L1 Cache	512 KB	768 KB+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation	FSR 3 + AFMF

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the Radeon RX 780 is on the newer stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP stays on FSR Frame Generation.

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR 3
Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP has 16 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 780 carries 4 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 bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580 2048SP and System on the Radeon RX 780. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 780) — the Radeon RX 780 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
VRAM Capacity	16 GB+300%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	System
Bus Width	256-bit	System
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 12 (12_2) (Radeon RX 780). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
DirectX	12	12 (12_2)
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine (Radeon RX 780). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 780).

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
Encoder	VCE 3.4	RDNA 3 Dual Media Engine
Decoder	UVD 6.3	VCN 4.0
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,VP9	H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 780's 180W — a 18.2% difference. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 350W (Radeon RX 780). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
TDP	150W-17%	180W
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	241mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	50.9+20%	42.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 580 2048SP came in at $229, while the Radeon RX 780 launched at $499. On MSRP, Radeon RX 580 2048SP was 54.1% cheaper ($270 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 33.3 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP) vs 15.3 (Radeon RX 780) — the Radeon RX 580 2048SP offers 117.6% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 780 (2024 vs 2018).

Feature	Radeon RX 580 2048SP	Radeon RX 780
MSRP	$229-54%	$499
Performance per Dollar	33.3+118%	15.3
Codename	Polaris 20	Navi 32
Release	October 15 2018	September 11 2024
Ranking	#334	#131

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