ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card

Written by Olin Coles

Monday, 22 November 2010

Table of Contents: Page Index
ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card
GeForce GTX 580 Closer Look
GeForce GTX 580 Detailed
Features and Specifications
Video Card Testing Methodology
DX10: 3DMark Vantage
DX10: Crysis Warhead
DX11: Aliens vs Predator
DX11: Battlefield Bad Company 2
DX11: BattleForge
DX11: Lost Planet 2
DX9 SSAO: Mafia II
DX11: Metro 2033
DX11: Tom Clancy's HAWX2
DX11: Unigine Heaven 2.1
ASUS ENGTX580 Overclocking
GeForce GTX 580 Temperatures
VGA Power Consumption
ASUS GeForce GTX 580 Conclusion

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ASUS GeForce GTX 580 Video Card Review

Voltage Tweak drives the NVIDIA Fermi GF110 GPU to 925 MHz and produces the most powerful DirectX-11 video card available.

ASUS is a well-known innovator of technology, but there are times when they recognize a good idea and strive to simply make it better. Queue the GeForce GTX 580 video card. Armed with the maximum number of CUDA cores and PolyMorph engines NVIDIA can deliver with the Fermi architecture, the GeForce GTX 580 represents their trophy effort to seize the performance market. While being similar to the GeForce GTX 480, the GeForce GTX 580 design updates the Fermi formula, improves upon the power appetite, reduces heat output, and increases graphical frame rate performance. ASUS raises the GF110 fixed function clock speed from 772 MHz to 782, while the graphics cores now operate at 1564 MHz. 1536MB of GDDR5 video frame buffer use a familiar 384-bit memory bus, clocked to 1002MHz for a 4008MHz data rate. This is before ASUS Voltage Tweak gives us access to unlocked potential...

Using ASUS Voltage Tweak technology and their SmartDoctor software utility, Benchmark Reviews drives GPU voltage from a pedestrian 962 mV at stock speed and overclocks the GF110 GPU by nearly 20% over reference speeds with 1145 mV. The ASUS GeForce GTX 580 competes on two levels: price point and GPU segment. Priced at the $520 price point, the ASUS ENGTX580 competes directly against ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 and a pair of AMD Radeon HD 6870 video cards combined into CrossFireX. In regard to single-GPU competition, the closest video cards would be ATI's Radeon HD 5870 or NVIDIA's own GeForce GTX 480.

Using the most demanding PC video game titles and benchmark software available at the time of launch, Benchmark Reviews tests graphical frame rate performance of the GeForce GTX 580. Older DirectX-10 favorites such as Crysis Warhead and PCMark Vantage are included, as well as newer DirectX-11 titles such as: Aliens vs Predator, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, BattleForge, Lost Planet 2, Mafia II, Metro 2033, Tom Clancy's HAWX2, and the Unigine Heaven 2.1 benchmark. Built to deliver the best possible graphical experience to a performance-orientated gaming market, NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 video card delivers top-end frame rates with unmatched efficiency.

Everyone who waited for NVIDIA to launch their Fermi graphics architecture felt like they had held back once it was finally released. The GF100 graphics processor that was packaged into the GTX 480 used less than its full potential, and it didn't create the wide performance margin everyone expected between competitors. Seven months later, NVIDIA has returned with their updated Fermi GF110 GPU, delivering all 512 CUDA cores in the GeForce GTX 580. Featuring a tweaked graphics processor that runs much cooler and uses less power than the GTX 480, the ASUS GeForce GTX 580 is tested by Benchmark Reviews against the Radeon 5970 and CrossFire 6870 video cards, along with two overclocked GeForce GTX 460's in SLI, using the latest DirectX-11 video games.

Something happened to the Fermi architecture between the time it premiered as GF100 and when it began to really turn heads as GF104: the ratio of shaders and texture units was perfected. The original GF100 GPU placed too much emphasis on tessellation, and not enough on overall graphical performance. As a result of finding the right balance, the GF104 graphics processor on the GeForce GTX 460 became an overnight sensation for gamers. Now evolved into the GF110 GPU, all 512 cores understand their purpose and propel the GeForce GTX 580 to a level only rivaled by the competition's best and most-expensive dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 graphics card. Trimmed down to a modest 244 watts of power consumption under load, the GTX 580 outperforms its predecessor in both power efficiency graphical performance.

Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Model Number: ENGTX580/2DI/1536MD5
Product Name: GeForce GTX 580
Price as Tested: $520 (Amazon and NewEgg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by ASUS.

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Comments

# RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Harry 2010-11-22 20:42

What a waste of money to be honest to spend $550 bucks on a card which will be beaten within a few months- this thing is nearly as fast as 6850CF

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# RE: RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Olin Coles 2010-11-22 22:05

Harry, not everyone wants to buy two 6850's and have no upgrade path a year or two later. So you might reconsider who's wasting money.

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# RE: RE: RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Harry 2010-11-23 03:14

Olin, in two years time you'll be wanting to change your motherboard as well because the new PCIE interface is already in works. Also there aren't many heavy games around to justify an expensive upgrade. I mean a 5870 can easily handle games for up to two more years. The real upgrade mania comes when there is a game or a multimedia application to justify an upgrade, all these chip manufacturers are going through serious financial issues that's why they bring out newer models even when there isn't any demand.

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# RE: RE: RE: RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Olin Coles 2010-11-23 14:26

See my reply to Gordon, below.

Using your own example, if someone is to purchase a new motherboard simply for the benefit of a new PCI-E 3.0 specification, which entails a new processor and possibly memory, why wouldn't they also buy the best graphics card now? You can't have it both ways, Harry.

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# RE: RE: RE: RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Tom 2010-11-24 04:56

Harry, even if the GTX580 is a bit slower than 6850CF and costs a little bit more, there's still the issue of Multi-card configurations CF/SLI being substantially more complicated than single card.
Just take a look inside any ATI/nvidia release notes and you'll see that the vast majority of bugs are in multi-card configurations.
I'm willing to sacrifices 10% performance and pay 10% more for the more simple/compatible option.

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# justify — claydough 2011-01-31 22:21

As an artist dreaming for a next gen 2.0 that can someday match what an "army" of creative types can achieve...
( not only in resolution but in pure/massive imaginary scope )
This attitude is very de-moralizing.
Why even read a graphic card benchmark review if you live for the "status quo"? Just git yerself a console and button mash to that.
The graphic card arms race assures me a future with tesselation, vsm soft shadows, and
global illumination:
##youtube.com/watch?v=Dd8yMPZzWfE&feature=related
none of which is or will be ready for prime time if we don't fan the flames.
The product is coming.

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# RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — David Ramsey 2010-11-22 20:59

Um, be beaten in a few months by what, exactly? And how do you know that whatever upcoming wonder card might beat it will be priced anywhere near it? As a hardware geek who must have the latest and greatest, I welcome whatever ATI can come up with in response. Right now, the GTX580's combination of power, noise, and low temps is unbeatable.

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# super — Trajan Long 2010-11-22 21:15

Crushes AMD's single GPU like roadkill. SLI is unbeatable. Great image quality and CUDA. IN many games 580 minimums are better than 5970. Smoother gameplay all around.

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# Succellus — Franck 2010-11-23 04:12

Great article cover the single card contenders and the SLI that could and can match it.
Its clear its not worth yet buying it unless you dont thrust SLI and you have power consuption/heat issues.
BUT, since SLI is only relevant in few games its a factor to be considered.
Many already rushed to the market to buy the vanilla 580, i suppose many more will go to the premium that are coming.

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# Worth it to do — RealNeil 2010-11-23 09:06

It's worth the money if you have it, and I probably wouldn't over clock it either. It run well enough at stock, and if I want more performance then I'll buy another one of them. I had decided earlier on that I was going to but two GTX460's and put them into SLI for my new PC, but this card is smarter for me, so it's what I'll get.

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# RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Gordon 2010-11-23 14:00

Harry is making a very simple point that I think you are looking past in defense of being a techy like we all most likely are. The card may be great but the cost is too high and the performance over earlier cards isnt enough to justify spending another 3-5 hundred dollars a couple times a year to stay up to date. Technology moves forward at a quick rate but the improvements are very incremental, not large leaps. For each incremental improvement they pump out a new card and charge top dollar for it and add a higher number to the end of the cards type IE GTX - 260/270/280/290/blah blah blah 460/470/480 blah blah 580. I still own dual 260's and have no problems playing all the new games at an appealing framerate. When DX 11 becomes the absolute standard for games and games demand it then I will upgrade. But why stay ahead of the technology train when the tracks that guide it havent been built yet?

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# RE: RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Olin Coles 2010-11-23 14:23

This isn't my first high-end video card review. I've been testing top level graphics cards for over four years, and every single time it's the same argument and complaint. It's a stale topic that I've written about at length, which I doubt you or Harry has ever read, so I'll summarize for you: They don't continue to make Ferrari's and Lamborghini's because they're fuel efficient or economic, the make them because people will buy them. To this end, high-end video cards will always have a market. It may not be the majority market which is filled with integrated graphics and casual computer users, and it may not be the mainstream graphics market that spawns from these high-end successes, but it?s a big enough market to continue pushing the envelope.

Additionally, you claim that software doesn't exist to warrant the need for products like the GTX 580, and I believe this to be untrue. Have you ever tried playing Crysis with all the graphical glory it was designed with? How about Metro 2033, Lost Planet 2, or Mafia II? Sure, you can play them with PhysX disabled and AA/AF turned down low, but that's like watching movies in standard definition. The logic of this argument also means that DVD and Blu-ray are unnecessary technologies, and VHS was 'good enough'. Not everybody wants to stand still... some of us enjoy the slow march forward.

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# *THOROUGH* — Zack 2010-11-24 07:06

The last two reviews (the general 580 and this one) were incredibly thorough and useful. The tools used, the descriptions, the overclocked charts, price per FPS per game, etc. were all GREATLY appreciated by this humbled little nerd. Even the comments were knowledgable and delivered in a useful way.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this review. I hope you get a raise.

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# Tricky Spot... — BeerGutBarry 2010-11-25 01:54

I love the new GTX 580, but can get the new Gigabyte 480 SOC for a bit cheaper...torn.

Curious to see how far partners can push this card though. The improvements made to the 480 from release to now have been pretty impressive, so wondering if similar gains can be made with the 580, or if this is already pushing the limit (without causing a massive increase in power consumption and removing throttling).

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# RE: Tricky Spot... — Olin Coles 2010-11-25 04:57

If it's a choice between the GTX 580 and GTX 480 SOC, I'd jump on the GTX 580 in an instant.

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# how can i spend 770$ ?? — LASER 2010-11-25 03:26

Right Olin!! yea i dont wanna feel that my card is struggling to play the best game i liked..looking at tesselation video that was just to explain the idea.... coming game might share something which wont feel like u playing a game...so tesselating hardware i decided...

GTX 580 in India is for 770$ !!!
GTX 570 will be at 520$ for me....
i saw ferrari ships for 20$-84$ if u order some merchandise...
So is there any chances i can get that GTX 580 in 550$ here???

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# Great Review — Warren 2010-11-25 12:54

Great review. I bought two of these, thus proving that there are people out there who will buy the very best regardless of cost.

As you rightly mention, Ferrari do not make cars that are the most fuel efficient at 60Mph, they know that there are buyers out there who want the best at any price.

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# To Ferrari or Not Ferrari — Rickard 2010-12-06 02:14

Weird review, mixing crossfire/sli scores with normal setups. Would have been more easily understood if you had had a separate table for cf/sli setups.

Also it would be interesting to see the scores mapped to a dollar/performance index to see where the best gain is to be had.

Further its interesting that the cf/sli scores are slightly different with other reviews where the 580 consistently (well almost) had scored lower than the 5970.

I know many think hey its a dual gpu card but hey it costs less and you can still cf/sli it so I dont really see the point they are trying to make.

Imo Nvidia is on the right track and the 460 and 580 is really good cards but atm they are basically catching up and I am waiting to see what the response from AMD is before I commit to an upgrade.

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# fast new cards? — Laszlo 2010-12-10 08:21

For me, a top card is one which beat the older top dog. But none of the new cards doing this (eg. none of them beat the GTX295's raw power: most of them slower except in 1-2 titles),even if they equipped much faster ram, clocked higher,... I would like to see a GTX295 manufactured with 40nm process, GDDR5 mems, 512bit wide mem bus, clocked as high as the new cards. What would touch it in DX10? So we get new feats (which maybe could be SW rendered too..) but not speed. Like 470 -> 570: most of the 25-27% speed advantage of the 570 gained from higher clock speed and just fragments from any optimization and the one less disabled CUDA or other unit. From another point of view: it's not a coincident that first came the slower 480 (vs. 580), then 470 (crippled) then 580 with more MHz, then 570.. maybe we will see a 680 too if the 40nm process allows more than 1 GHz - as a new, very advanced chip of course (which is internally the same). We getting the same, only the price/crippling ratio changes. We are very far away from ray traced rendering, real physics, real materials, ballistics, etc.

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# RE: fast new cards? — Olin Coles 2010-12-10 08:29

I might be misunderstanding your message, so allow me to seek clarification. Are you saying a GeForce GTX 295 outperforms the GTX 580? Just so that you know, it really doesn't even come close. Here's exhibit A: benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=403

If the Radeon HD 5970 can clear it by 35-40% in Crysis and Heaven, then look at where the GTX 580 sits against the Radeon 5970 on those tests in this article.

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# RE: ASUS ENGTX580 GeForce GTX 580 Video Card — Laszlo 2010-12-10 10:38

Yes I was misunderstable. Clock to clock (same GPU/Mem) the 580 would be slower. Or: the 295 would be much faster, manufactured @ 40nm process and set to same clock speeds with same memory modules. = We don't get what nv can make, we get crippled cards - but with new feats. If the 580 would get the GTX285's 512 bit wide memory bus (the 295 also crippled to 448 bit, and from 32 to 28 ROPs per GPU), and 2048 MB memory, 64 ROPs, etc (as it's double number of transistors dictate), then it would be a real high end (technology wise) card. Now it's a very fast card, that milk the consumers like a cow, then nv needs to 'invent' some of their inventions again and we never get a new generation of cards that 100 or more percent faster than their precedessors. When they made their first(?), the Riva128(?) then there was no other just their best chip, and it was blown away by their next, faster chip. Not by one more feat, but by raw power - in ALL games.
Sadly they make only high end chips these days too, then crippling them down to a price category.
So these new cards are fast but far less than they should be - and they should be 50-100% faster in everything, especially in 'future' games that really use their new feats.

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# Nice review — Thomas 2011-01-15 14:42

Very nice review, well done. Thanks very much! That'll be about it...greetings

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# To Olin Coles — Gordon 2011-01-31 22:59

Olin,

Hey, so to clarify I was only trying to make what Harry was saying a little more clear as I assumed there was some misunderstanding. I agree with you in every way as to what you replied, and I should say that your comparison to Ferrari and Lamroghini was spot on. I am definately in the casual group but not by choice, lol. I would, if i could afford, like to stay up with all the newest hardware as I am a firm believer that your rig is only as strong as its weakest component. My gtx 260's: Do they play even Crysis on appealing settings at a decent enough frame rate? Yes I can push them to relatively high settings and play at about 30 or more FPS. BUUUUUT I want a GTX 580 so I can crank that up just as much as the next guy HAHA. Either way I liked your review and found it very informative.

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