Radeon RX 580X vs Radeon RX 6500

AMD

Radeon RX 580X

2018Core: 1257 MHzBoost: 1340 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6500

RX family
·······

Radeon RX 580X vs Radeon RX 6500 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.

Radeon RX 580X vs Radeon RX 6500 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 580X vs Radeon RX 6500: 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 580X

2018

Why buy it

  • 80.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
  • More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 15.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $229 MSRPvs$199 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 32.7 vs 38.2 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • 146.7% higher power demand at 185W vs 75W.
  • 40.1% longer card at 241mm vs 172mm.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

  • Costs $30 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • Delivers 16.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.2 vs 32.7 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • Draws 75W instead of 185W, a 110W reduction.
  • Measures 172mm instead of 241mm, a 69mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 580X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 580X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 80.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 6500 instead at 7,610 vs 7,495, 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?
Radeon RX 6500 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). That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 6500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $199 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 16.8% (38.2 vs 32.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 580X still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon RX 580X vs Radeon RX 6500 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon RX 580X

The Radeon RX 580X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1257 MHz to 1340 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,495 points.

AMD

Radeon RX 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 580X scores 7,495 and the Radeon RX 6500 reaches 7,610 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score
7,495
7,610+2%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation
FSR 3 + AFMF

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the Radeon RX 6500 is on the newer stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF, while the Radeon RX 580X stays on FSR Frame Generation.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
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 580X has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 580X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 580X) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500) — a 77.8% advantage for the Radeon RX 580X. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580X and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
256 GB/s+78%
144 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 580X) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
DirectX
12 (FL 12_0)
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4+100%
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580X) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 580X) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
Encoder
VCE 3.4
None
Decoder
UVD 6.3
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 580X draws 185W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 84.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 580X) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 241mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
TDP
185W
75W-59%
Recommended PSU
500W
400W-20%
Power Connector
8-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
241mm
172mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
40.5
101.5+151%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 580X came in at $229, while the Radeon RX 6500 launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6500 was 13.1% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 32.7 (Radeon RX 580X) vs 38.2 (Radeon RX 6500) — the Radeon RX 6500 offers 16.8% better value.

FeatureRadeon RX 580XRadeon RX 6500
MSRP
$229
$199-13%
Performance per Dollar
32.7
38.2+17%
Codename
Polaris 20
Release
April 11 2018
sem dados
Ranking
#337
#335

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.