Asus Amd Radeon Rx 580 Test

The Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 TOP Edition 8GB takes the latest graphic menu pattern from AMD and makes it into cooler, better looking and above all, faster.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580: Price

Although we're reviewing Asus' Strix model here, there are lots of RX 580 cards to choose betwixt. Prices will vary a lot depending on the exact model you choose, just expect to pay around £240-£310 for an 8GB card.

This is the same price as the Radeon RX 480 was at launch and is in the same ballpark equally a GeForce GTX 1060 which is the RX 580'south main competitor.

Versions of the Radeon RX 580 can be had for less than £200 if you opt for the 4GB version.

Check out our roundup of the best graphics cards for alternatives.

What is the Radeon RX 580?

Based on the fastest of AMD's new RX 500-serial GPUs, the Radeon RX 580 is at present the go-to graphics card for AMD fans who demand the highest possible performance, but can't necessarily stretch to the expense of a high-end RX Fury.

The Radeon RX 580 has 36 compute units, 2,304 stream processors and 144 texture units. If that looks a footling familiar, it's because information technology'due south exactly the same spec as the previous generation RX 480.

The key point here is that, despite the change in leading digit form a '4' to a '5', both the RX 480 and the RX 580 are based on the same 4th generation Graphics Core Side by side (GCN) architecture and are therefore substantially versions of the same product.

The RX 580 then is only a fitter, more than efficient version of the existing RX 480. While this will exist a little disappointing for those itching to upgrade, all is non lost, because the the improved efficiency of the RX 580 allows it to run at higher clock speeds.

Then, it'due south noticeably faster than its predecessor, clocking in at a base frequency of 1,257 MHz and topping out at 1,340 MHz in boost mode where the RX 480 managed one,120 MHz and 1,266 MHz respectively.

However, the card we're reviewing here is no ordinary RX 580. The Asus Strix TOP Edition model comes clocked fifty-fifty faster, with a maximum core speed of 1,431 MHz.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580: Features and design

The Asus Strix RX 580 is a actually big bill of fare, not just in length, which remains at 298mm, the same as the Strix RX 480, but as well in width. Where its predecessor required 2 slots to accommodate its width, the new menu needs 2.5 slots.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 review

This means it won't fit into all PC cases and there may be situations where it's non a simple drop-in replacement for a the RX 480 version either.

The reason for the card's large size lies in its pair of hefty new heatpipe coolers, topped by a trio of variable-speed cooling fans. The board also comes with a protective backplate which runs the full length of the menu.

A single 8-pin connector powers the board, and a total of v video output sockets is provided, including DVI, 2x DisplayPort and 2x HDMI ii.0. At the opposite finish of the lath is a pair of fan headers for directly connection to external fans, typically mounted in your system case. Asus calls this characteristic, 'Asus FanConnect II'.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 review

Fans of lighting effects will beloved the AURA RGB lighting support which can work in conjunction with other Asus-branded products, such as motherboards, to produce coordinated lighting effects which can be choreographed beyond the whole system. Asus likewise throws in the control software to make it all happen.

The result is a very impressive looking card, with quite imposing looks which will accommodate many gaming PC builds – only every bit long as it fits. The build quality is excellent every bit we have come to expect from Asus Strix products and goes some way to justifying the rather high request price for the lath.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580: Performance

This menu is manufactory overclocked to deliver superior performance and our benchmarks show it does just that. Easily outpacing the RX 480 and in some cases leapfrogging Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1060, although the latter has recently been made bachelor in an upgraded version with faster memory which will be reviewed soon.

The supplied Asus GPU Tweak Two software gives y'all the opportunity to push the card farther – all the way to breaking point, only we tested the card using the fastest of iii preset performance modes, known as 'OC Manner'.

This is faster than the 'Gaming Mode' selected past default, but nosotros feel most owners of this card are going to want to go as much performance every bit they tin – later on all, they're paying extra for that massive cooling organization, and then why non use it?

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 review

Our results show excellent performance at 1080p where yous'll usually be able to select Ultra quality settings while maintaining a decent frame rate. You'll often exist able to practice the same at 1440p, although this will vary from game to game.

Tough titles such as Deus Ex Mankind Divided will demand a more than powerful card, or perchance a second Radeon RX 580, to attain this kind of quality level, however.

In the DX12 tests for Mankind Divided, we saw a minimum frame rate of 27.6fps at the 2K Ultra setting, and 34.3fps on average. At 4K Loftier, these dropped to 18fps and 22fps respectively.

At 1080p Ultra, the RX 580 managed 39.7fps minimum and l.9fps on average, and then that is probably the sensible quality limit for this particular menu in Mankind Divided.

Should you buy a Radeon RX 580?

Whether or not you should buy a Radeon RX 580 depends on what graphics bill of fare you have already. If you're starting from scratch, then the RX 580 offers great performance for the money and is good for gaming at 1080p and 1440p resolutions.

This overclocked model as well comes in alee of a standard Nvidia GTX 1060 in well-nigh tests, although an overclocked model such equally the Asus Strix GTX 1060 is a much tougher opponent costing effectually the same equally our Radeon review card.

If you're firmly in the AMD camp, mayhap due to your choice of gaming monitor, and then the RX 580 is certainly fast plenty to stop you lusting after a GeForce 1060.

However, If you already ain a Radeon RX 480 there'south lilliputian betoken in upgrading as the technology is substantially the same. Sure, it'due south measurably faster, but non so much that it would warrant upgrading to the new carte du jour.

When it comes down to exactly which model of RX 580 to buy, things get a piddling more than complicated. For instance, Asus offers six different RX 580s in 4GB and 8GB configurations with varying features and clock speeds.

The model reviewed hither is the tiptop of the range model running at the highest speeds, which makes it really rather expensive. Even so, yous can relieve effectually £thirty past buying 1 of the bottom Asus Strix models which will give yous the same features and the same build quality, just with a slower guaranteed factory overclock.

Yous tin and so overclock the card manually and see how far you lot can get on your own.

You tin save even more by opting for one of the Dual series cards which come up with a smaller cooler and twin, instead of triple, fans. These offer less headroom for overclocking also as omitting many corrective features of the Strix models.

Spend some time comparison prices while paying very conscientious attention to exact model names as their identical physical advent and packaging can easily lead to confusion, leading you to think y'all're getting a bargain when you're actually looking at a slower version of the carte.

Ultimately the Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 Height Edition 8GB isn't about delivering the best frame rates at the everyman price. It's well-nigh delivering the ultimate functioning, superior build quality and enhanced features, all of which information technology does quite admirably.

Specs

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 Elevation Edition 8GB: Specs

AMD Radeon RX 580 GPU
Process: 14nm
Cadre clock: 1411MHZ (gaming mode), 1431MHz (OC Style)
Retentiveness Clock: 8Gbps
Memory charabanc width: 256-bit
Stream Processors: 2304
APIs: DirectX 12, Vulkan
Retentiveness blazon and chapters: GDDR5 8GB
Power connectors: 1x 8-pivot PCIe
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort DVI-D
Carte width: 2.5 slots
Dimensions: 298 x 53 x 135mm
Cosmetic enhancements: Aura Sync RGB lighting
Cooling: Asus heatsink with 3x IP5X-certified fans
Warranty: 3 years