Asus rog strix rx 580 8gb oc review: Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 Desktop Graphics Card Review

Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review

Written by

Matthew Lambert

April 18, 2017 | 13:59

Tags: #polaris #radeon #rx-480 #rx-580

Companies: #amd #asus

1 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review2 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — The Card3 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Test Setup4 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — 3DMark and VRMark5 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Deus Ex: Mankind Divided6 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Doom7 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Fallout 48 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Total War: Warhammer9 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt10 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Power and Thermals11 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Overclocking12 — Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC Review — Performance Analysis and Conclusion

We were unable to obtain a supported version of Asus GPU Tweak II prior to launch, but AMD’s own Radeon WattMan software had everything we needed to overclock the card. We began by increasing the power limit to 150 percent and pushing the voltage from 1,150mV to 1,200mV (the maximum allowed) for the highest clock states.

After this, we were able to add 70MHz to the boost clock, taking us to 1,481MHz; 1.5GHz was just out of reach, but it might be possible on the very best samples. This is a five percent overclock relative to the out-of-box Asus speeds, 11 percent over the RX 580’s reference boost clock, and 17 percent faster than the original RX 480 boost clock. Clearly, you’re able to push the Polaris silicon further than ever before now, but it’s still some way off the speeds Nvidia is capable of with Pascal.

The memory was successfully overclocked to 2.25GHz for an effective speed of 9Gbps. This boost of 12.5 percent was the highest permitted by WattMan and required no additional voltage to reach.

Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition 8GB
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB (OC)
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB
Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+ OC 8GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming 6GB

- 16579
- 13055
- 12249
- 11855
- 11586

2500

5000

7500

10000

12500

15000

17500

Score

Score

Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition 8GB
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB (OC)
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB
Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+ OC 8GB
Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+ OC 4GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming 6GB

- 36
- 46
- 31
- 38
- 29
- 35
- 28
- 34
- 26
- 32
- 25
- 31

Frames Per Second

Minimum
Average

Palit GeForce GTX 1070 GameRock Premium Edition 8GB
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB (OC)
Asus Radeon RX 580 Strix Gaming Top OC 8GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming 6GB
Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+ OC 8GB

- 59
- 67
- 45
- 50
- 42
- 47
- 40
- 45
- 40
- 45

Frames Per Second

Minimum
Average

AMD Radeon RX 590 Review feat.

XFX

How does refreshed Polaris stack up?

November 15, 2018 | 14:00

Asus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti ROG Strix Advanced Review

This premium GTX 1070 Ti comes in at £500, but without a factory overclock, is this simply too much?

November 2, 2017 | 22:30

Asus ROG Strix Evolve Review

Asus seems to be liking the ambidextrous mice at the moment. The Asus ROG Strix Evolve can be configured to suit your hand, as it has changeable top covers. Will this be enough to warrant the price?

July 21, 2017 | 17:00

MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review

October 14 2021 | 15:04

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 OC Edition Performance on Ubuntu Linux KVM PCI Pass-Through Review

By Tyler DeGiacomo
on

June 20, 2017

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580

Model

RX580 OC Edition

Price

$319. 99

For those following our Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) coverage here is a status update. Initially my plan was to evaluate on the new Ryzen AM4 platform but I’ve encountered some delays. More specifically, software troubles related to PCI Pass-Through — without stable PCI Pass-Through the entire purpose of evaluation has been defeated.

Several related bug reports have been documented and earlier this month (June 2017) AMD released AGESA 1.0.0.6 firmware which appears to be promising for fixes, however, I have not had the opportunity to evaluate these further.

My goal is to provide validation of newer hardware in correlation to achieving near native performance on Ubuntu Linux utilizing KVM + PCI Pass-Through. Once satisfied with the results I will publish a step-by-step HowTo article which will include a hardware recommendation list. If you’re unfamiliar with Kernel-based Virtual Machine and what we’ve been experimenting with, please take a moment to view our initial demonstration of Windows Gaming with QEMU/KVM on Ubuntu Linux.

The ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition graphics card has been sitting in our lab since release. So rather than postpone any further, I’ve decided to move forward with benchmarking this GPU on an older Intel LGA 1150 platform (Haswell) which is stable.

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 OC Edition

Specifications

Graphics Engine: AMD Radeon RX 580
OpenGL: OpenGL 4.5
Video Memory: GDDR5 8GB
Engine Clock: 1380 MHz (OC Mode) / 1360 MHz (Gaming Mode)
Stream Processors: 2304
Memory Clock: 8 Gbps
Memory Interface: 256-bit
Resolution: Digital Max Resolution:7680×4320

Test Build Details

Hardware

Processor: Intel Core i7-4790
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-Pro
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 32GB (8GBx4)
GPU 1: Intel HD 4600 Integrated Graphics
GPU 2: ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition
Monitor1: Connected to Intel HD 4600 (HDMI1) and RX580 (HDMI2)
Monitor2: Connected to Intel HD 4600 (HDMI1)

Note: Integrated Graphics is set in the BIOS to be primary, RX580 to be used for PCI Pass-through.

Software

Base: Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS (Xenial)
Kernel: 4.4.0-81-generic #104-Ubuntu SMP
Packages: qemu-kvm, libvirt-bin, ubuntu-vm-builder, bridge-utils
Guest: Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit (Resources: 4 CPU, 25GB RAM)
Custom: Bash script I’ve written

Comparative Benchmark Results

Shown below is a comparative of GPU benchmarks from Superposition 2017 by UNIGINE. These test results were produced by running the ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition graphics card on both a native Windows 10 Pro installation and a Ubuntu Linux (Host) utilizing KVM with PCI Pass-through on virtualized Windows 10 Pro (Guest) installation.

A total of eight tests were ran. 1080p Extreme, 4K Optimized, 8K Optimized and VR Maximum benchmarks on both configurations. Not only does this demonstrate performance, it also confirms compatibility of the ASUS AMD RX580 8GB OC Edition with KVM + PCI Pass-Through.

As you can see the ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition yields exceptional performance when comparing native verses KVM. Variation in results is so slight that it’s difficult to interpret visually in the graphs, so here are the exact numbers.

Native (N) KVM (K)

1080p Test N: 2518 — K: 2515

4K Test N: 3600 — K: 3576

8K Test N: 1451 — K: 1444

VR Test N: 5387 — K: 5356

KVM Benchmark Results

Native Benchmark Results

Moving Forward

Use of the ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition is highly recommend and no issues were encountered under our older Intel build.

I’ll be acquiring additional Motherboards and GPUs for testing. In addition to developing a better format for our KVM PCI Pass-Through tests, my shot-term focus will also be on evaluating the following conditions.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700x
GPU: ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX580 8GB OC Edition
Host OS: Ubuntu 17. 0.1 LTS
Motherboards: Undetermined, either Gigabyte, ASUS or MSI

Gallery

Conclusion

The Good — Pros

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) with PCI Pass-through has near native performance on Intel Core i7

The Bad — Cons

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) with PCI Pass-through on Ryzen AM4 platform experiences issues, AGESA 1.0.0.6 firmware required

The Ugly — Issues

The Verdict — Opinion

As expressed in this article, Intel Core i7 was stable, achieving near native performance results utilizing PCI Pass-through.

I’ve built both a native and KVM configuration but ran into some troubles with virtualization on the Ryzen AM4 platform, more specifically with GPU Pass-though. I will report back once I test the AGESA 1.0.0.6 firmware.

Update 2019-07-03: AGESA 1.0.0.6 firmware resolves the issue with Ryzen. PCIe graphics & IOMMU groups confirmed working.

Performance:

Innovation:

Linux Compatibility:

Cost & Value:

Overall:

How review ratings work?

ROG-STRIX-RX580-O8G-GAMING | ROG Strix | Gaming Graphics Cards｜ROG

OUTSHINE
THE COMPETITION

ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 gaming graphics cards are packed with exclusive ASUS technologies, including all-new MaxContact Technology that is 2X more contact with GPU for improved thermal transfer, and Patented Wing-Blade IP5X-Certified Fans for maximum airflow and longer fan lifespan. While ASUS FanConnect II features 4-pin, hybrid-controlled headers connected to system fans for optimal system cooling. ASUS Aura Sync RGB LED synchronization enables a gaming system personalization and VR-friendly HDMI ports let gamers easily enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences. ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 also has GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster that provides intuitive performance tweaking and instant gameplay streaming.

LEVEL UP PERFORMANCE

Resolution: 3840 x 2160, Setting: Ultra

Resolution: 1920 x 1080, Setting: Ultra

GAME COOL
AND PLAY SILENT

40% More Heat Dissipation Area

Up to 30% Cooler and 3X Quieter Gaming Performance

New ROG Strix graphics are constructed with a 2.5-slot width, providing 40% more heat sink surface area for heat dissipation compared to previous 2-slot designs for dramatically cooler and quieter performance.

*Images for reference only.

MaxContact Technology

2X More Contact with GPU for Improved Thermal Transfer

MaxContact is an industry-first GPU cooling technology, featuring an enhanced copper heat spreader that directly contacts the GPU. MaxContact utilizes precision machining to provide a surface that makes up to 2X more contact with the GPU than traditional heat spreaders, resulting in improved thermal transfer.

Patented Wing-Blade Design

Max Air Flow with 105% More Air Pressure

Patented wing-blade fans delivers maximum air flow and 105% greater static pressure over the heat sink, while operating at an up to 3X quieter volume than reference cards.

0dB Technology

Game in Complete Silence

Innovative 0dB technology stops the fan completely when the GPU temperature remains below a set level*, letting you enjoy light gaming in complete silence.

*55°C for ROG Strix RX 580

IP5X-Certified Dust Resistance

Longer Fan Lifespan

The fans in ROG Strix graphics cards are certified under the International Protection Marking (IP code) as IP5X dust resistant for improved reliability and a longer lifespan. This stringent certification process ensures ROG Strix graphics cards provide optimal fan performance, even under severe conditions.

ASUS FanConnect II

Optimal System Cooling

ASUS FanConnect II features two 4-pin, hybrid-controlled headers that can be connected to both PWM and DC system fans for optimal system cooling. The connected fans reference both the GPU and CPU, operating automatically based on the one with the higher temperature. A comprehensive set of tuning options allow you to tune fan speeds for efficient cooling.

* Image for reference only. Actual PC layout may vary.

GPU Tweak II lets you easily set these ASUS FanConnect II modes:

Auto mode:
Chassis fan speeds reference GPU temperatures and operate based on the default factory setting.

Manual mode:
Allows you to set a fixed speed for connected fans.

User-defined mode:
Allows you to set chassis fans to reference either the CPU or GPU temperature to determine rotational speed. Additionally, a smart, automatic calibration routine senses the controllable range of connected fans and allows you to fine-tune speeds for efficient cooling and low noise.

PREMIUM QUALITY AND
BEST RELIABILITY

Auto-Extreme Technology

Industry-only 100% Automated Production Process

All ASUS graphics cards are now produced using Auto-Extreme Technology, an industry-exclusive, 100% automated production process that incorporates premium materials to set a new standard of quality. Auto-Extreme Technology ensures consistent graphics card quality as well as improved performance and longevity. Since the introduction of Auto-Extreme technology, reliability has improved by 30%. This new manufacturing process is also environmentally friendly, eliminating harsh chemicals and reducing power consumption by 50%.

100% automation
Remove human fallibility from production

Fortify component
overclocking stability

Advanced and stringent
quality control

Advanced components design innovation

Smooth circuit board without sharp bumps

Flux-free production

7+1 Phase Super Alloy Power II

Enhanced Durability and Efficiency

ASUS engineers have integrated premium alloy components into their graphics card designs to reinforce overall reliability. Super Alloy Power II components greatly enhance efficiency, reduce power loss and achieve thermal levels that are approximately 50% cooler than previous designs.

PERSONALIZED GAMING STYLE

ASUS Aura Sync

Outshine The Competition

Featuring Aura RGB Lighting on both the shroud and backplate, ROG Strix graphics cards are capable of displaying millions of colors and six different effects for a personalized gaming system. ROG Strix graphics cards also feature ASUS Aura Sync, RGB LED synchronization technology that enables complete gaming system personalization when the graphics card is paired with an Aura-enabled gaming motherboard.

Experience Aura
Color and Brightness

Experience Aura Lighting Effect

Static

Always on

Breathing

Fades in & out

Strobing

Flashes on & off

Color cycle

Fades between the colors of the rainbow

Music effect

Pulses to the beat of your music

GPU temperature

Changes color with GPU load

GEAR UP FOR ULTIMATE GAMING EXPERIENCE

VR-friendly HDMI Ports

Easily Enjoy Immersive Virtual Reality Experience

ROG Strix graphics cards have two HDMI ports for connecting a VR device and display at the same time, so you can enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences anytime without having to swap cables.

Ramp up your PC with

ASUS Beyond VR Ready.

Your Need for Speed, Fulfilled

The Best Combo Ultra-smooth Gameplay

AMD FreeSync™ technology resolves the communication issues between processor and monitor, eliminating image tears and choppiness for effortlessly smooth gameplay. With ROG Strix gaming graphics cards and ASUS MG gaming monitors, scenes appear instantly, objects look sharper, and gameplay is super smooth, giving you a stunning visual experience and a serious competitive edge.

Learn more about ASUS gaming monitors at here.

GAME YOUR WAY

GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster

Intuitive Performance Tweaking

Redesigned with an intuitive, all-new UI, GPU Tweak II makes overclocking easier and more visual than ever, while still retaining advanced options for seasoned overclockers. With one click, the new Gaming Booster function maximizes system performance by removing redundant processes and allocating all available resources automatically.

Learn more at here.

Gaming Booster

One-click Performance Up

Visual effects:

Boost your performance by turning off windows visual effects.

System Services:

Automatically or manually turn off windows services or process.

Memory Defragmentation:

Re-arrange & free your system memory without closing any processes.

XSplit Gamecaster

Instant Gameplay Streaming

An included 1-year XSplit Gamecaster premium license* — a $99 USD value — lets you easily stream or record gameplay via a convenient, in-game overlay. The overlay also displays GPU clock speed, temperature, and VRM usage, and has GPU Tweak II controls, so gamers can choose a gaming profile and boost performance with just one click.

Learn more at here.

ROG Strix is the newest recruit into the Republic of Gamers. A series of specialized gaming gear designed for the rebel in all of us, Strix exemplifies ROG’s premier performance, innovative technology, and leading quality, but with its own confident and dynamic attitude. Featuring bold designs and bright colors, this exciting new series possesses a spirit of fierce individualism that charges every gaming experience with thrilling energy. ROG Strix equips players with the necessary speed and agility to dominate their game. A new generation of force has arrived. Join the Republic and experience the power of ROG Strix.

AREZ-STRIX-RX580-O8G-GAMING｜Graphics Cards｜ASUS Global

OUTSHINE
THE COMPETITION

AREZ Strix Radeon RX 580 gaming graphics cards are packed with exclusive ASUS technologies, including all-new MaxContact Technology that is 2X more contact with GPU for improved thermal transfer, and Patented Wing-Blade IP5X-Certified Fans for maximum airflow and longer fan lifespan. While ASUS FanConnect II features 4-pin, hybrid-controlled headers connected to system fans for optimal system cooling. ASUS Aura Sync RGB LED synchronization enables a gaming system personalization and VR-friendly HDMI ports let gamers easily enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences. AREZ Strix Radeon RX 580 also has GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster that provides intuitive performance tweaking and instant gameplay streaming.

LEVEL UP PERFORMANCE

Resolution: 3840 x 2160, Setting: Ultra

Resolution: 1920 x 1080, Setting: Ultra

GAME COOL
AND PLAY SILENT

40% More Heat Dissipation Area

Up to 30% Cooler and 3X Quieter Gaming Performance

New AREZ Strix graphics are constructed with a 2.5-slot width, providing 40% more heat sink surface area for heat dissipation compared to previous 2-slot designs for dramatically cooler and quieter performance.

*Images for reference only.

MaxContact Technology

2X More Contact with GPU for Improved Thermal Transfer

Patented Wing-Blade Design

Max Air Flow with 105% More Air Pressure

Patented wing-blade fans delivers maximum air flow and 105% greater static pressure over the heat sink, while operating at an up to 3X quieter volume than reference cards.

0dB Technology

Game in Complete Silence

Innovative 0dB technology stops the fan completely when the GPU temperature remains below a set level*, letting you enjoy light gaming in complete silence.

*55°C for AREZ Strix RX 580

IP5X-Certified Dust Resistance

Longer Fan Lifespan

The fans in AREZ Strix graphics cards are certified under the International Protection Marking (IP code) as IP5X dust resistant for improved reliability and a longer lifespan. This stringent certification process ensures AREZ Strix graphics cards provide optimal fan performance, even under severe conditions.

ASUS FanConnect II

Optimal System Cooling

* Image for reference only. Actual PC layout may vary.

GPU Tweak II lets you easily set these ASUS FanConnect II modes:

Auto mode:
Chassis fan speeds reference GPU temperatures and operate based on the default factory setting.

Manual mode:
Allows you to set a fixed speed for connected fans.

PREMIUM QUALITY AND
BEST RELIABILITY

Auto-Extreme Technology

Industry-only 100% Automated Production Process

100% automation
Remove human fallibility from production

Fortify component
overclocking stability

Advanced and stringent
quality control

Advanced components design innovation

Smooth circuit board without sharp bumps

Flux-free production

7+1 Phase Super Alloy Power II

Enhanced Durability and Efficiency

PERSONALIZED GAMING STYLE

ASUS Aura Sync

Outshine The Competition

Featuring Aura RGB Lighting on both the shroud and backplate, AREZ Strix graphics cards are capable of displaying millions of colors and six different effects for a personalized gaming system. AREZ Strix graphics cards also feature ASUS Aura Sync, RGB LED synchronization technology that enables complete gaming system personalization when the graphics card is paired with an Aura-enabled gaming motherboard.

Experience Aura
Color and Brightness

Experience Aura Lighting Effect

Static

Always on

Breathing

Fades in & out

Strobing

Flashes on & off

Color cycle

Fades between the colors of the rainbow

Music effect

Pulses to the beat of your music

GPU temperature

Changes color with GPU load

GEAR UP FOR ULTIMATE GAMING EXPERIENCE

VR-friendly HDMI Ports

Easily Enjoy Immersive Virtual Reality Experience

AREZ Strix graphics cards have two HDMI ports for connecting a VR device and display at the same time, so you can enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences anytime without having to swap cables.

Ramp up your PC with

ASUS Beyond VR Ready.

RADEON FREESYNC™ TECHNOLOGY

NO STUTTERING. NO TEARING. JUST GAMING.

Smoothness
Gaming shouldn’t be a choice between choppy gameplay or broken frames. With AREZ STRIX RX 580, it doesn’t have to be. Get fluid, artifact-free performance at virtually any framerate with Radeon FreeSync™ technology.1
Get effortlessly smooth gameplay with AREZ STRIX RX 580 with Radeon FreeSync™ technology in AMD Radeon™ GPUs, A-Series APUs and Ryzen CPUs with Radeon Vega graphics.¹

*1. FreeSync is an AMD technology designed to eliminate stuttering and/or tearing in games and videos by locking a display’s refresh rate to the framerate of the graphics card. Requires Monitor, AMD Radeon™ graphics and/or AMD A-Series APU compliant with DisplayPort™ Adaptive-Sync 1.2 (or newer). AMD Catalyst™ driver 15.2 Beta (or newer) required. Adaptive refresh rates vary by display; check with your monitor manufacturer for specific capabilities. Only select AMD Radeon GPUs and A-Series APUs supported; see www.amd.com/freesync for full details.

Radeon™ Software Adrenalin Edition

Radeon™ Software Adrenalin Edition, artfully designed and meticulously crafted to unleash the incredible power of performance and innovation built into Radeon™ Graphics through an incredibly intuitive and utterly beautiful user interface for both PCs and mobile devices.

GAME YOUR WAY

GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster

Intuitive Performance Tweaking

Learn more at here.

Gaming Booster

One-click Performance Up

Visual effects:

Boost your performance by turning off windows visual effects.

System Services:

Automatically or manually turn off windows services or process.

Memory Defragmentation:

Re-arrange & free your system memory without closing any processes.

XSplit Gamecaster

Instant Gameplay Streaming

Learn more at here.

The Gamers Private Network: wtfast

Banish lag, latency and lost packets

We’ve included a six-month wtfast premium license* — a USD$53.95 value — to let you enjoy online gaming that’s free from lag, latency and lost packets. The AI-driven, game-prioritizing services and real-time analytics enabled by wtfast, the Gamers Private Network, deliver lower ping for smoother, more fluid online gaming experiences. With an ASUS graphics card in your rig and wtfast on your side, you won’t be left waiting.

Learn more at here.

AMD RX 580 8GB review: one of the best-value graphics cards you can jam into your gaming PC

The AMD RX 580 is now the smart elder statesman of the current Radeon lineup, but when it first arrived the mildly updated Polaris GPU was actually a bit of a disappointment. Not only were we hoping the 500-series cards would herald a new world of Vega-based graphics cards (which ended up being their own unique brand of disappointing), it was barely any different from the RX 480 that had landed a year earlier.

But a year and a half, and one crypto mining boom later, the RX 580 has managed to deliver on the ‘fine wine’ promise that AMD attaches to all of its silicon. It’s now the graphics card that we would recommend as the best GPU to drop into your gaming rig… unless you have an infinite money tree and can spend $1,200 on an RTX 2080 Ti anyways.

It’s an impressively powerful, well-priced graphics card, with a comparatively huge pool of video memory and an aptitude for dealing with modern graphics APIs. And at just $190 (£197) it has very little competition in the market, with Nvidia’s GTX 1060 only giving it pause in a few DX11 titles and still being more expensive on the whole. Even the new GTX 1660 Ti struggles against its genuine value proposition.

t does have a little more competition in the mainstream market right now, with AMD launching its ‘new’ RX 590 graphics card. That’s just a moderate 12nm die-shrink of the Polaris GPU at the heart of the old RX 580, but it’s also a timely reminder that AMD’s mainstream graphics cards are your best bet for great-value gaming performance right now.

Even with the GTX 1660 Ti being unveiled its GTX 1070-level gaming performance keeps it another pricing tier above the RX 580. The straight GTX 1660 might have something to offer, however, with its slightly chopped TU116 GPU and $220 price tag.

AMD RX 580 specs

Polaris Enhanced. That’s what AMD called the updated 500-series of graphics cards, but they were never expecting to encourage anyone that spent their cash on a last-gen Polaris card to upgrade. Despite calling the GPUs at the heart of both the new RX 580 and RX 570 Polaris 20 it is still really the same 14nm Polaris 10 chip they used, to great effect, in the RX 480 and RX 470 cards.

The ‘enhanced’ bit comes from the fact that 12 months on from the initial Polaris release both the 14nm FinFET technology and the 4th Gen GCN architecture used in the latest AMD Radeon cards had a full year to mature. That means the production process and yields improved and the resulting GPUs were more robust.

	AMD RX 590	AMD RX 580	Nvidia GTX 1060
Manufacturing process	12nm	14nm	16nm
Die size	232mm²	232mm²	200mm²
Stream processors	2,304	2,304	1,280
Texture units	144	144	80
ROPs	32	32	48
Memory size	8GB GDDR5	8GB GDDR5	6GB GDDR5
Memory bus	256-bit	256-bit	192-bit
TDP	225W	185W	120W
Price	$279 \| £250	$210 \| £195	$250 \| £220

That’s the main reason AMD have been able to release RX 580 cards with a higher base clock speed than the reference RX 480 cards saw at launch. The base/boost clocks of the original RX 480 were 1,120MHz and 1,266MHz respectively, while the reference spec of the RX 580’s Polaris 20 chip is set at 1,257MHz and 1,340MHz. With the general tightening up of the GPU’s manufacturing process AMD can ship out cards using pretty much the previous chip’s peak performance as a starting point to work up from.

Though if you were hoping for the same 40 compute unit, 2,560 core, Polaris GPU Microsoft shipped with the AMD-powered Xbox One X you’d be disappointed. Outside of the reference clock speed bump the RX 580 is the same GPU beast as the RX 480. The core configuration is identical – the 14nm Polaris 20 in the new card is still sporting 36 compute units (CUs) with 2,304 stream processors spread out across them. Alongside that are the same 144 texture units and 32 ROPs.

The memory system is the same too, with 8GB of GDDR5 delivering a full 256GB/s of memory bandwidth. And, like the 400 series cards, there are both 4GB and 8GB versions of the RX 580, as well as the RX 570.

All that seems to have really changed then, clockspeed hike aside, is the new RX 580 cards have a higher TDP to allow for the enhanced clockspeeds the new designs are shipping with. Those clockspeeds above are just the suggested reference design specs, but the fact AMD never created any reference samples for the new cards was indicative of their refresh/rebadge status, and also that most RX 580 cards would be expensive factory overclocked ones even if the prices weren’t being artificially boosted by the gluttonous mining community.

Our XFX sample runs at 1,366MHz, while the Asus STRIX card hits a heady 1,411MHz out of the box. The original STRIX edition of the RX 480, on the other hand, runs at a default 1,330MHz. That itself was a pretty hefty boost in factory-overclock terms, but the new variant from Asus is almost 100MHz ahead of that.

AMD RX 580 benchmarks

PCGamesN Test Rig: Intel i7 8700K, Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming, 16GB Crucial Ballistix DDR4, Corsair HX1200i,
Philips BDM3275

AMD RX 580 performance

The RX 580 is only a little behind the newer RX 590 in terms of overall gaming performance, and generally there is only ever a few frames per second on average between them. That’s something of a surprise given the significantly higher clock speeds offered by the updated, 12nm cards.

That’s not really the key battleground for the RX 580, however. How it performs against the Nvidia GTX 1060 is where the real fight is, and that’s far more interesting. On the whole the AMD Graphics Core Next architecture has the edge in overall gaming performance. There are a few instances where the Nvidia GPU holds sway, but that’s only ever in last-gen DirectX 11 games. In the more modern APIs, and DirectX 12 in particular, the AMD silicon has the GeForce card beat.

When you take a step up in gaming resolution the improved memory subsystem of the AMD card comes to the fore. With another 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and a wider 256-bit memory bus, the RX 580 in 8GB trim is better able to deal with the rigours of high-res textures and the extra overall pixel count.

That’s not to say the GTX 1060 isn’t still a great performer at this end of the market, it most certainly is, but when the performance is so close pricing becomes an even bigger consideration. And when the RX 580 just has the edge on gaming frame rates overall, and the edge in pricing, it doesn’t look good for the GeForce card.

Where the Nvidia GPU does have a significant edge, however, is in the classic GeForce efficiency. Back in the Maxwell days Nvidia made a play for efficiency when it was unable to action a silicon die shrink, and that move is still paying off. The GTX 1060, outside of its reference cooler design, often runs cooler than the RX 580, but definitely draws far less power to game at almost the same level.

AMD RX 580 verdict

The RX 580 is hands-down the best-value graphics card on the market today. With the pricing problems of the mining boom times a distant memory, the RX 580 8GB cards can be picked up for as little as $190 (£196), and that’s a comparative bargain. Given the fact the closest Nvidia competitor card is often well over $250 it’s actually quite tough to recommend the more expensive GeForce GPU despite its better overall gaming performance.

That’s still a huge amount of money for most of us to spend on a single component for our gaming PCs. Sure, we’d all love to be able to spend RTX 2080 Ti money without pause, but in the real world even ducking under that $200 mark can be daunting. And at the $200 level AMD has the market sewn up, though maybe the GTX 1660 will have something to say about that…

AMD RX 580 8GB

The AMD RX 580 8GB card is the best-value gaming GPU around right now. It’s a little quicker overall compared with the GTX 1060 and only the tiniest bit behind the new RX 590 – but significantly cheaper than them both. The GTX 1660 Ti does far outstrip its gaming performance, but is still a lot more money.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC Review

When we see a new generation in a company’s numbering scheme, we expect that there’s at least some justification behind it, but that isn’t always the case. There are many reasons for companies to just slap a new label on an old product and ship it out — the publicity that surrounds a new launch, the illusion that buyers are getting something bigger or better, and the chance to steal a competitor’s thunder at an opportune time.

It hasn’t even been a full year since we reviewed the Radeon RX 480 GPU, as well as the RX 470 and RX 460 which followed it, but they have now been replaced by the Radeon RX 500 series. It shouldn’t surprise us then that the new Radeon RX 500 series is just a mild refresh of the RX 400 series. It seems that AMD felt it was time to move up a generation — in terms of marketing, if not the actual underlying technology.

The Radeon RX 400 series was important for AMD because it was the first to debut a significantly new architecture, called Polaris, which was long overdue after a string of minor refreshes of old products. In the face of multiple successful Nvidia GPUs, AMD had only been able to release the lukewarm Radeon RX 300 models that were just rebadged 200s, many of which themselves weren’t much different from the previous Radeon HD 7xxx series. Now, it seems that the company has gone back to old habits.

We have with us Asus’ ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC, which sells for Rs. 25,500. We’re eager to see how the Radeon RX 580 GPU stacks up against last year’s Radeon RX 480, and what exactly Asus’s implementation adds to the mix.

The Radeon RX 580 GPU

We’ve established that there isn’t anything different about the GPU’s underlying architecture, but there have been some improvements to the manufacturing process over time that allow AMD to extract slightly more performance per chip than when the RX 480 first went into production. The company simply calls this its «latest generation» 14nm process.

There are still 2,304 programmable cores that AMD calls «stream processors» organised into 36 clusters for a total of 5.7 billion transistors. AMD has set a base frequency of 1257MHz and a boost ceiling of 1340MHz, up from 1120MHz and 1266MHz respectively on the RX 480. Of course, board partners such as Asus are free to tweak those speeds if they can compensate with adequate cooling.

The memory bus is also still 256 bits wide but the memory speed has gone up to 8Gbps for an effective bandwidth of 256GBps. Radeon RX 580 cards will be available with either 4GB or 8GB of GDDR5 RAM. What is very interesting is that the GPU’s power draw has increased from 150W to 185W — a considerable amount, which doesn’t really mesh with AMD’s claim that improved power efficiency is the reason for the higher clock speeds.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC

There is no RX 580 reference design like there was for the RX 480. AMD’s partners are only selling cards with their own custom-designed coolers. Asus of course has a variety of models out, and the most elaborate of them is the ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC. As its name suggests, this card has 8GB of RAM and higher clock speeds — a base of 1360MHz, with a miniscule bump up to 1380MHz in «OC mode».

This card is absolutely massive. It’s much taller, wider and thicker than it needs to be, and the main reason for that seems to be that some people just like hardware that they can show off. Flagship-class graphics cards are almost always 10. 5 inches long and occupy two motherboard slots, but this card is nearly 12 inches long and thick enough to block three. You’ll need to make sure that your PC case can handle such a beast.

Asus justifies the card’s size and premium pricing by saying that there’s 40 percent more heatsink surface area than usual, resulting in better cooling. It has also used premium components all around, including the power regulators and a super-smooth precision-machined contact point that apparently helps pull heat away from the GPU.

Asus has gone with a grey colour for the fan shroud, with lots of sharply angled surfaces and claw-like cutouts for RGB LEDs. We’ve seen this design before, and it does look rather imposing. The LEDs light up in red by default though you can change this using Asus’s Aura software, and sync patterns with an Asus Aura motherboard and peripherals. There’s an illuminated «Republic of Gamers» label on the top of the shroud as well as an ROG logo on the backplate just in case another reminder was needed.

Three fans is probably overkill, but clearly Asus wasn’t going for subtlety here. According to the company, the patented fan blade design delivers lower noise, better airflow, and increased lifespan. The fans don’t spin unless they need to. Asus also provides headers so that you can have additional case fans triggered when the GPU temperature rises.

On the rear of the card, you’ll find one DVI-D port, two DisplayPorts, and two HDMI 2.0 outputs. This arrangement was chosen specifically so that you can use a VR headset and an HDMI monitor at the same time without adapters or having to swap plugs. Despite this card’s heavy-duty appearance, only one 8-pin PCIe power connector is required.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC setup and performance

Installing the card in our open-air test bench was no trouble, but you might struggle if you have a normal-sized ATX PC cabinet. There’s a plastic sheet over the backplate that needs to be removed before installation, but no obvious warning label or instructions. Asus provides plastic dust blockers for all ports, which we always appreciate. There are no display or power adapters in the box, but you aren’t likely to need any. Asus does throw in two Velcro cable ties, which could come in handy.

It became clear fairly quickly that Asus’s claims that this card runs nearly silent aren’t exactly accurate. You might not have to deal with the thrum of fans or blasts of air being pushed out through a narrow vent, but the card pretty much constantly made an audible high-pitched electronic whine. Whenever activity picked up and the fans started spinning, it started making buzzing, grating noises and the occasional loud chirp. Of course, this might have been a quirk of our review unit, and future firmware updates might help, but our early impressions of the card weren’t that great.

If this issue has to do with the components used or the overall design of the Strix cooler rather than a one-off defect with our one unit, your level of annoyance will depend on the type and positioning of your PC cabinet. On the bright side, our card didn’t get too hot at any point, and even ran for quite a long time before the fans needed to spin up.

The Aura lighting app worked just as expected, allowing us to choose a static colour or breathing, strobing and colour cycling effects. You don’t get multiple zones, but you can set the lights to pulse to your music or change with the card’s temperature.

	Component
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
Motherboard	MSI X370 Xpower Gaming Titanium
RAM	2×8 GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3000
SSD	Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB
CPU cooler	Noctua NH-U12S SE -AM4
PSU	Corsair RM650
Monitor	Asus PB287Q
OS	Windows 10

We started testing the ROG Strix Radeon RX580’s performance with 3DMark, and got scores of 11,823, 5,884 and 3,132 in the Fire Strike Standard, Extreme, and Unlimited tests. For the sake of comparison, we redid the same tests with an older XFX Radeon R9 380X DD BLK OC 4GB card on the same rig, and got scores of 8,438, 4,176, and 2,221 respectively. The newer 3DMark Time Spy test returned 4,492 and 3,092 points respectively. You can check out test results for the Radeon RX 480 as well as Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 GPUs here, though they were tested with a different set of components.

Unigine Valley gave us 53.9fps running at 1920×1080 using the Ultra preset, while Star Swarm gave us 40.22fps with the Radeon RX 580 versus 35.7fps and 53.9fps respectively with the Radeon R9 380X. We ran Metro: Last Light Redux’s built-in benchmark at 2560×1440 with the High quality preset and got 76.38fps with the Radeon RX 580 and 54.31fps with the Radeon R9 380X.

Ashes of the Singularity uses the newer DirectX 12 API. We tested it at 2560×1440 using the Standard, High, and Extreme quality presets. Scores for the Radeon RX 580 were 61.9fps, 57.4fps, and 44.2fps respectively. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided gave us 28.9fps running at 2560×1440 using its High preset. Then, we moved on to real-world gameplay in a variety of games.

DOOM ran beautifully, as expected. Using the Ultra quality preset and Vulkan renderer, we played through the Foundry level and saw around 90-110fps on average at 2560×1440. We tried pushing the resolution up to 4K and saw that the average framerate dropped to 45-60. That isn’t too bad, but the experience is smoother at the lower resolution which means that this GPU really shouldn’t be pushed too hard in the latest games.

We ran through a bit of Rise of the Tomb Raider at 2560×1440 using the High preset. Frame rates stayed very consistent, with an average of 54fps and frame times averaging 18.6ms. We weren’t bothered by any tearing or skipping. This is a pretty comfortable combination of resolution and quality for the RX 580 to stay at. 4K is not really possible without compromising the frame times, which is about right considering AMD’s positioning.

Next up, we ran through some forests and got into a few scuffles in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The resolution was set to 2560×1440, and both graphics and postprocessing were using their High presets. We did see a few glitches, but they were very slight. The 47fps average framerate doesn’t show smoothness, but a look at the frame time graph illustrates that there were quite a few erratic frames. Quality stayed above 30fps for the most part, but there were few noticeable tears. Most people should be fine with this level of performance considering how demanding this game is.

Far Cry 4 also ran fairly well at 2560×1440 using its Very High preset. We got a fairly high average of 75fps, and the frame time graph shows that quite a lot of the action held steady at over 60fps. However, the game did stutter in places. We were tempted to push the resolution up to 4K, but found that 1440p was better overall in terms of smoothness.

Verdict

To cut a long story short, there is absolutely no reason for you to buy a new graphics card based on a Radeon RX 580 GPU if you’re already using a top-end model bought within the past two years, but it should be a worthy upgrade if you’re using an RX 200 series card or something from lower down the product stack. It’s more than enough for high-quality 1080p gaming, and does reasonably well at 1440p too. If you are determined to buy a high-end Radeon right now, make sure you’re getting an RX 580 and not the RX 480, since street prices are hovering at around the same level.

AMD should unveil its next-generation Vega architecture soon, but GPUs based on it will target much higher performance, and graphics cards will consequently be much more expensive. Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 is also still a very strong competitor, and while it won’t beat an RX 580 comprehensively like it beat the RX 480 last year, lower street prices give the green team an advantage.

As for the Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC in particular, it’s clear that this card isn’t the most sensible option for mainstream users. It costs more than most other RX 580 8GB cards, and isn’t likely to deliver that much of a marginal performance improvement over a more conventional dual-fan cooler. We’re also wary of the electrical whine. If you need a graphics card to show off and aren’t willing to spend on a flagship-class GPU, the Strix Radeon RX 580 will satisfy you. If it’s going to stay hidden away in a windowless cabinet, save a bit of money and go with a less flashy model.

Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB OC
Price: Rs. 25,500

Pros
Looks like a more expensive graphics card
Good performance at 1080p and 1440p
RGB LED lighting effects

Cons
Oversized
Constant whine

Ratings (Out of 5)
Performance: 4
Value for Money: 3.5
Overall: 4

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Further reading: AMD, Radeon, AMD Radeon, AMD Radeon RX 580, Asus, Strix Radeon RX 580, Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 review, Radeon RX 580 review, Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 price, Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 price in India

is it worth updating? GECID.

com. Page 1

::>Video cards
>2017
> ASUS ROG-STRIX-RX580-O8G-GAMING

12-05-2017

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Since AMD has not been doing very well for the past few years, and the company itself is actively working not only in the graphics adapter market, but is also trying to impose Intel competition in the desktop processor segment, it is quite expected that it simply did not have sufficient resources and time to fully replace the AMD Polaris series. Nevertheless, the line itself has not yet exhausted its potential and looks good against the background of its current competitor in the form of NVIDIA Pascal. Therefore, the AMD Radeon RX 500 series based on AMD Polaris was prepared and presented, but with some modifications.

It includes four video cards: AMD Radeon RX 580, AMD Radeon RX 570, AMD Radeon RX 560 and AMD Radeon RX 550. The first three are slightly improved versions of already familiar models: AMD Radeon RX 480, AMD Radeon RX 470 and AMD Radeon RX 460. But the AMD Radeon RX 550 is a completely new model that expands the budget price segment.

For a better visualization of what was written, let’s look at their technical characteristics in a summary table:

Model	AMD Radeon RX 550	AMD Radeon RX 460	AMD Radeon RX 560	AMD Radeon RX 470	AMD Radeon RX 570	AMD Radeon RX 480	AMD Radeon RX 580
GPU	AMD Polaris 12	AMD Polaris 11	AMD Polaris 11	AMD Polaris 10	AMD Polaris 20	AMD Polaris 10	AMD Polaris 20
Microarchitecture	4th Generation AMD GCN
Crystal area, mm ²	—	123	123	232	232	232	232
Technical process, nm	14
Number of computing units	8	14	16	32	32	36	36
Number of stream processors	512	896	1024	2048	2048	2304	2304
Number of texture units	32	56	64	128	128	144	144
Number of raster blocks	16	16	16	32	32	32	32
GPU clock frequency, MHz	1100 / 1183	1090 / 1200	1175 / 1275	926 / 1206	1168 / 1244	1120 / 1266	1257 / 1340
Video memory type	GDDR5
Volume, GB	2 / 4	2 / 4	2 / 4	4 / 8	4	4 / 8	4 / 8
Effective memory frequency, MHz	7000	7000	7000	6600	7000	7000 / 8000	7000 / 8000
Memory bus width, bit	128	128	128	256	256	256	256
Bandwidth, GB/s	112	112	112	211	224	224 / 256	224 / 256
Performance level, TFLOPS	1. 2	2.15	2.6	4.9	5.1	5.8	6.2
TDP value, W	50	75	80	120	150	150	185
Estimated cost, $	79	119	99	179	169	199 / 239	199 / 229

As you can see, the AMD Radeon RX 580 and AMD Radeon RX 570 are characterized by increased GPU clock rates compared to their predecessors. But this was achieved, among other things, by increasing energy consumption. In turn, the AMD Radeon RX 560 received a full-fledged version of the AMD Polaris 11 GPU, while the owners of the AMD Radeon RX 460 need to install the modified firmware themselves.

As a result, the novelty, of course, is not positioned as a replacement for AMD Radeon RX 400 series video adapters, but is aimed at owners of previous generations. In particular, the AMD Radeon RX 580 replaced the AMD Radeon R9 380 or AMD Radeon R9 380X, the AMD Radeon RX 570 is suitable as a replacement for the AMD Radeon R7 370, the AMD Radeon RX 560 sends the AMD Radeon R7 360 model to the history museum, and the AMD Radeon The RX 550 brings the AMD Radeon R7 250 graphics card to a well-deserved rest.

In addition to improved performance levels, the new products allow you to use the convenient Radeon ReLive tool for recording and online broadcasting (streaming) of the game process to popular services and useful Radeon Chill technology. After its activation in games, it becomes possible to limit the maximum speed (for example, at the level of 60 FPS). As a result, power consumption and the load on the cooling system in high-performance video cards are reduced, and control responsiveness is also improved.

In the near future we will try to consider all these novelties in modifications from various vendors. Let’s start with the AMD Radeon RX 580 by ASUS using the ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition video card as an example. This model is equipped with a flagship cooling system, a powerful power subsystem and additional factory overclocking. To begin with, we will traditionally get acquainted with its characteristics.

Specification

Model		ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition (ROG-STRIX-RX580-O8G-GAMING)
Technical process, nm		14 (FinFET)
GPU		AMD Polaris 20
Microarchitecture		AMD Polaris
Number of stream processors		2304
Number of texture units		144
Number of raster blocks		32
GPU dynamic frequency, MHz	«Gaming»	1360
	«OC»	1380
Video memory type		GDDR5
Volume, GB		8
Effective frequency, GHz		8
Bus width, bit		256
Internal interface		PCI Express 3. 0 x16
External interfaces		1 x DVI-D 2 x HDMI 2.0b 2 x DisplayPort 1.4
Additional power connector		1 x 8-pin
Recommended power supply, W		500
Dimensions, mm		298 x 134 x 52.5
Drivers		Latest drivers can be downloaded from the ASUS website or from the website of the manufacturer of GPU
Manufacturer website		ASUS

Packaging and contents

The ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition comes in a colorful package with high-quality and informative printing. On its sides, the key advantages of the design of the novelty are displayed.

On one of the sides, the manufacturer placed recommendations for the power supply. Its minimum power should not be lower than 500 watts. It is desirable that it has at least one 8-pin PCIe connector. You can traditionally see the real power consumption of our entire test bench with the ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition on the last chart of the test block.

The package includes a user’s manual, a CD with drivers and utilities, and a pair of cable ties.

Appearance

Most of the flagship video cards of the ROG STRIX line use a strict and recognizable appearance, so at first glance it’s even hard to tell which model is in front of you: ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition, ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1060 OC , ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING or ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080 Ti OC Edition.

And to give the new product a brighter and more colorful look, ASUS Aura Sync LED backlight is used. It provides the user with millions of colors and six modes of operation. One of them displays the current temperature of the GPU with the help of color: it turns out stylishly and informatively.

The reverse side is initially covered with a stiffening plate. It is used to maintain a massive cooler and takes part in the removal of excess heat.

We were not allowed to remove the cooling system, but the official page of the ROG-STRIX-RX580-O8G-GAMING model reports the presence of a 7 + 1-phase power subsystem inside using a high-quality Super Alloy Power II element base. ASUS Auto-Extreme Technology’s fully automated assembly process was also used, which improves the quality, reliability and durability of the graphics card.

ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition does not require a single PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot. Therefore, there is one additional 8-pin PCIe connector in the tail section, through which 150 watts of power can be supplied. The cooling system slightly interferes with the connection process.

Four additional connectors can be seen on the tail end. The bottom two are used to power the cooling fans and LED lighting. And the top two 4-pin ones are for connecting system fans (ASUS FanConnect II technology). In the automatic mode of their operation, the speed of rotation of the blades may depend on the temperature of the CPU or GPU. In manual mode, the user independently sets the algorithm for the functioning of the connected turntables. All this can be configured in the proprietary GPU Tweak II utility.

Unlike NVIDIA, AMD has long stopped using MIO connectors to connect appropriate bridges and implement Multi-GPU technology (in this case, AMD CrossFire). For this, the internal PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface is used.

In turn, the set of external interfaces for the ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition graphics adapter includes two HDMI 2.0b ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 and one DVI-D. This configuration simplifies the connection of virtual reality helmets.

Testing was carried out in the «Gaming» profile, in which the dynamic frequency of the GPU reaches 1360 MHz. In turn, 8 GB of GDDR5 memory from Samsung operates at an effective frequency of 8000 MHz and a bandwidth of 256 GB / s with a 256-bit bus.

In the proprietary GPU Tweak II utility, you can also activate the «OC» profile, in which the dynamic frequency of the GPU reaches 1380 MHz, or «Silent» with an indicator of 1340 MHz. You can also store profiles with your own manual overclocking for quick activation.

Cooling system

The ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition graphics card with installed cooling system occupies 2.5 expansion slots and is characterized by rather large dimensions — 298 x 134 x 52.5 mm (313 x 132 mm as measured in our test lab).

The design itself includes a nickel-plated copper base, six 8mm nickel-plated heat pipes soldered to the aluminum fins of a two-section heatsink, an additional low-profile heatsink for cooling the memory chips, and three 88mm axial fans mounted on a plastic shroud. To cool the elements of the power subsystem, a special thermal interface is used, which transfers excess heat to the main radiator.

The manufacturer also mentions the use of proprietary MaxContact technology for automated installation of a cooler with optimal downforce for improved heat dissipation.

The manufacturer of the fans could not be identified, but they themselves have improved dust protection (IP5X) and use a patented Wing-Blade design that provides increased airflow and static pressure. And thanks to 0dB technology, the cooler goes into passive mode when the load on the GPU is low.

In the automatic mode of the cooling system, with an average load on the GPU, its temperature reached 50°C. Sometimes the fans paused their work, but at the time of taking readings, they rotated at 1600 rpm (41% of maximum), and the noise was quite comfortable for long work near the PC.

When the load was increased to the maximum level, the temperature of the GPU rose to 64 ° C, and the system accelerated the fans to 2020 rpm (51% of the maximum). However, the noise remained quite comfortable, below average.

After forcing the fan speed to 100% (3486 rpm), the GPU temperature dropped to 56°C. However, the noise rose above average and ceased to be comfortable. This mode is usually used for serious overclocking experiments, so you are unlikely to encounter it in everyday work.

In idle mode, the fans stopped working and the GPU temperature dropped to 37°C. The propellers returned to active mode only when the GPU temperature rose to 54°C.

As a result, the cooling system of the ROG STRIX Radeon RX 580 OC Edition did its job perfectly: in automatic mode, it provides the necessary balance between a comfortable GPU temperature and an acceptable noise level, at maximum power it demonstrates a margin of safety for overclocking experiments, and at low loads it goes into silent passive mode. There were no extraneous sounds in the form of an annoying squeak of throttles during testing.

ASUS ROG Strix RX 580 O8G Gaming video card review. We treat-maim — Page 3 of 5

Appearance and features

Immediately when you get into the hands of the adapter, you feel that you are holding something cool, something expensive and just cool. 298 mm long, just like mine, two and a half slots in thickness (52 m), three large fans, and a kilogram and a half weight. Such a card can pull out a PCI-Express x16 slot without any problems at all, if it is not screwed to the case (always screw the “widow” guy).

The design remains exactly the same as the RX 480, the GTX 1060, 1070, 1080, etc. But this one, at first glance. There are indeed changes, but they are hidden inside. All also in the slots near the fans are built-in RGB-backlight diodes (naturally with Aura synchronization).

On the reverse side, the board is covered with a rear reinforcing plate, also known as a backplate. In order for the plate to be not just black, but a bit more fun, it is engraved with ASUS Strix and there is a ROG series logo, which is also highlighted. By the way, the backlighting of this logo is a very cool moment. In fact, with a normal installation of a video card, only it is visible.

The I / O panel has a varied set. There is DVI-D, HDMI 2.0 and a pair of DisplayPort. It was a pair of HDMI 2.0 made for compatibility with VR headsets. Please note, as many as 6 screws only on the back of the board to fix the general stiffener of the board. Structurally, the adapter turned out to be just VERY durable.

The backplate does not perform the function of heat dissipation, but serves solely for beauty, protection of the board from mechanical damage, and to give additional structural rigidity. Oh, by the way, I did some testing with backplates. So, if you still put a thermal pad between the plate and the reverse side of the board, where the power unit is soldered, you will be able to reduce the temperature of the VRM by 2 degrees (at least by 290X). The temperature of the graphics core will also drop by a couple of degrees if you glue the thermal pad on its back.

We disassemble the video card, put the board aside for now, and look at the cooling system.

The radiator as a whole is very similar to the one we saw earlier, but there are a couple of key differences here. First, common sense prevailed. ASUS finally abandoned the technology of direct contact of heat pipes with the surface of the GPU. In theory, direct contact certainly improves the heat removal rate, but in practice the surface of the heat pipes remains far from ideal, and while the traditional substrate has an extra gear ratio in the form of an iron plate, the contact with the GPU is ideal.

The heatsink thickness has also been increased by 40%, and now the card occupies not two, but two and a half expansion slots.

ASUS has taken the foundation very seriously. For this, they even came up with a separate technology — MaxContact. Allegedly, their substrates are smoother than usual. To be fair, I would say yes. The substrate came out well, but not that much. I’ve seen better. Somewhere around 9/10.

The radiator itself consists of two sections, pierced by six heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm. With the section farthest from the GPU, everything is clear, but the section above the GPU is riddled with tubes in a very bizarre way. Honestly, there is nothing to complain about. It was done simply competently, and not like the same video cards from GeIL had.

The whole thing is blown by three 92 mm fans. I recognize these fans even without reading the label. ASUS has been using them for 5 years already. Fans are good. They blow OK, they make a tolerable noise, they live a long time. There is one little problem with them: if one leans back, it is almost impossible to find a replacement for him. And if it succeeds, then the price tag there will be unimaginable $ 20-30.

0dB technology is also available. Before reaching 55 degrees, the fans just stand still. In practice, when watching movies and in not too demanding games, they always stand.

Let’s look at the board. The RX 480 from ASUS had exactly the same board, straight 1v1. But if earlier the board was slightly covered by some kind of awkward plate, now everything is serious. The board is almost entirely covered by a thick common plate. Imagine what structural strength the board gets, taking into account this plate and the backplate.

I would like to praise, but in reality the situation turned out to be curing or crippling. Look, there was a problem with the cooling of memory chips before, now it seems to be OK with this. This is a positive thing. But, in the RX 480, the main radiator immediately served as a cooler for the VRM node, directly taking heat from it. The entire CO was attached to 6 screws: 4 around the GPU and two near the power unit. It was impossible to come up with a better approach.

Now look at this. What is this shame? The plate cools the VRM, on top of it there is a 2 mm thermal pad, into which the radiator rests with fins. It turns out such a non-acidic sandwich: mosfets >> thermal pad >> plate >> thermal pad >> doubtful contact with the radiator. This is obviously worse than mosfets >> thermal pad >> heatsink. What are you? ASUS, it was fine, what did you do?

The VRM node itself is built according to an 8-phase scheme, where 6 phases are for GPU power, and 2 more for memory chips. The board is exactly the same as it was for the RX 480. Even as there were not enough two capacitors, there are still not enough seats for them. Naturally, all components are of high quality, all of the highest class.

One 8-pin PCI-Express Power connector for additional power. Through the PCI-Ex slot and this connector in total, up to 225 W of power can pass. Here it is worth going a little deeper into the topic. The reference RX 580 has a TDP of 185W, but ASUS operates at higher frequencies and higher voltages, and we all know how difficult it is and at what cost extra megahertz are given to the Polaris chip. Further overclocking can be difficult.

The memory is filled with Samsung K4G80325FB-HC25 chips. Samsung chips are the most expensive, but also the fastest. A card with such chips is about 5% faster than a similar card with Hynix chips. Here ASUS fellows are not greedy.

In conclusion of the review of the board, and in the conclusion of the section itself, just a couple of words about the fan connectors. You can connect to them case «carlsons» and the card will control them. At low load (low temperature), the fans will spin slowly, up to a complete stop, and when the graphics card / processor heats up, they will spin faster. Very cool. It’s a pity that the wires from the fans do not always reach this end of the board.

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1 more DVI outputs?
1 vs 0

Supports 1 more displays?
5 vs 4