Which 580 gtx to buy

Allows you to connect to a display using DisplayPort. HDMI ports 1. More HDMI ports mean that you can simultaneously connect numerous devices, such as video game consoles and set-top boxes. DVI outputs 0. Allows you to connect to a display using mini-DisplayPort.

Features 1. DirectX version DirectX is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics. OpenGL version 4. OpenGL is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics.

OpenCL version 2. Newer versions introduce more functionality and better performance. The graphics card supports multi-display technology.

This allows you to configure multiple monitors in order to create a more immersive gaming experience, such as having a wider field of view. A lower load temperature means that the card produces less heat and its cooling system performs better. Ray tracing is an advanced light rendering technique that provides more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections in games. PassMark G3D result This benchmark measures the graphics performance of a video card.

Source: PassMark. This benchmark is designed to measure graphics performance. Source: AnandTech. Once again, the trend plays out although the margins are closer than you might expect. Expect lower frame-rates but a similar trend in the newer Tomb Raider title, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. So what do our benchmarks reveal? Well, clearly the RX is the better card in more of the games that we've tested, with the AMD card coming on top in seven of our nine tests at p, and every time at p.

However, the GTX does keep it close in most games, usually within two or three frames per second at the lower resolution. Also bear in mind that we are running the fastest RX on the market here in the absence of a reference card. Given its often lower price compared to the RX unit we tested, that suggests the GTX might be the better buy if you're gaming at p, but if you want to stretch to p, the AMD card is probably worth its extra cost.

One thing we should point out is that our test system is a Core i7 K overclocked to 4. AMD's driver overhead is significantly higher under DX11, so some of these results may change if you're running an older, or slower processor.

We know there's still a lot of vintage Core i5 Ks out there! On those older systems, Nvidia is the smarter choice. However, the GTX and RX are so close in most titles that it makes it hard to definitely recommend one over the other, particularly given the recent variations we've seen in graphics card prices. Therefore, we recommend you look at the benchmark results above to see how the cards handle your favourite games, decide which features are the most important to you and check the current price of each card before committing to either.

Now that you've seen the benchmarks for one card, why not check out see which PC hardware we recommend to our friends and family? Here are the DF picks for the overall best graphics cards and for the best gaming monitors on the market.

We hope this comparison was useful. For further reading, why not have a look at our reviews of each card via the links below? Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our policy. Jump to comments Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry wsjudd. A bizarre British-American hybrid, Will turns caffeine into technology articles through a little-known process called 'writing'. Will also tweets the latest tech deals at DealsFoundry.

GTA Trilogy has removed some cheats for technical reasons. YouTube will now hide the dislike count on videos. Feature Battlefield's ongoing identity crisis could be what saves it this year. User Comments: Add your comment to this article. You need to be a member to leave a comment. Join thousands of tech enthusiasts and participate. TechSpot Account Sign up for free , it takes 30 seconds. Already have an account? And with a whole new generation of both graphics cards and processors landing you can bet that the previous generation products will start to see some potentially serious discounts.

That will make some of those parts incredible value, and a great deal, but equally there will be some components that no matter how cheap they get it will be tough to recommend them. But it's actually based on a graphics chip that was released the previous year, the RX So in essence this is really a four year old graphics card.