GeForce GTX 580 vs GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 580

2010Core: 772 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 4070
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

2023Core: 1920 MHzBoost: 2475 MHz

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 580

2010

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Very weak future-proofing: 2010-era hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already obsolete for modern gaming and is hard to recommend today.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 9.3 vs 44.9 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070

2023

Why buy it

  • 281.4% more average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 383.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.9 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($599 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 3 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4070 better than GeForce GTX 580?
Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4070 averages 281.4% more FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 26,919 vs 4,634 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 580 is a 2010 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2010, 480.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 3 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 4070 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 4070 is about 20.0% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and you are getting 281.4% more estimated average FPS across 38 tracked games in our benchmark data and 480.9% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 580 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.
Is GeForce GTX 580 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 580 is 2010 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM, 4,634 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low80 FPS183 FPS
medium65 FPS167 FPS
high52 FPS151 FPS
ultra34 FPS131 FPS
1440p
low67 FPS150 FPS
medium55 FPS124 FPS
high39 FPS110 FPS
ultra25 FPS101 FPS
4K
low24 FPS92 FPS
medium23 FPS78 FPS
high15 FPS65 FPS
ultra13 FPS58 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low132 FPS544 FPS
medium103 FPS454 FPS
high81 FPS353 FPS
ultra59 FPS299 FPS
1440p
low91 FPS351 FPS
medium65 FPS288 FPS
high52 FPS235 FPS
ultra39 FPS197 FPS
4K
low42 FPS172 FPS
medium32 FPS144 FPS
high29 FPS125 FPS
ultra23 FPS101 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low209 FPS884 FPS
medium167 FPS713 FPS
high139 FPS643 FPS
ultra104 FPS569 FPS
1440p
low156 FPS684 FPS
medium125 FPS549 FPS
high104 FPS483 FPS
ultra78 FPS424 FPS
4K
low104 FPS467 FPS
medium83 FPS373 FPS
high70 FPS326 FPS
ultra52 FPS277 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
1080p
low157 FPS751 FPS
medium116 FPS612 FPS
high100 FPS536 FPS
ultra84 FPS497 FPS
1440p
low118 FPS615 FPS
medium89 FPS500 FPS
high76 FPS433 FPS
ultra60 FPS395 FPS
4K
low70 FPS384 FPS
medium50 FPS324 FPS
high39 FPS301 FPS
ultra28 FPS272 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 580 and GeForce RTX 4070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 580

The GeForce GTX 580 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 9 2010. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 772 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 244W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,634 points. Launch price was $499.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4070

The GeForce RTX 4070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 12 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1920 MHz to 2475 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,919 points. Launch price was $599.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 580 scores 4,634 versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 26,919 — the GeForce RTX 4070 leads by 480.9%. The GeForce GTX 580 is built on Fermi 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4070 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 40 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 512 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 4070). Raw compute: 1.581 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 580) vs 29.15 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
G3D Mark Score
4,634
26,919+481%
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
40 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
512
5888+1050%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.581 TFLOPS
29.15 TFLOPS+1744%
ROPs
48
64+33%
TMUs
64
184+188%
L1 Cache
1 MB
5.8 MB+480%
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
36 MB+4700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 580 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4070 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 580 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 580 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 192 GB/s (GeForce GTX 580) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070) — a 162.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (GeForce GTX 580) vs 36 MB (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
12 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
192 GB/s
504 GB/s+163%
Bus Width
384-bit+100%
192-bit
L2 Cache
0.75 MB
36 MB+4700%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 580) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 4070). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12.2+2%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
2
4+100%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce GTX 580) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (GeForce RTX 4070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 580) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
Encoder
None
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP4
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 580 draws 244W versus the GeForce RTX 4070's 200W — a 19.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 4070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 580) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4070). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 304mm, occupying 2 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 85 C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
TDP
244W
200W-18%
Recommended PSU
550W-15%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
304mm
Height
111mm
137mm
Slots
2-33%
3
Temp (Load)
85 C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
19.0
134.6+608%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 580 launched at $499 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4070 launched at $599. The GeForce GTX 580 costs 16.7% less ($100 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.3 (GeForce GTX 580) vs 44.9 (GeForce RTX 4070) — the GeForce RTX 4070 offers 382.8% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2010).

FeatureGeForce GTX 580GeForce RTX 4070
MSRP
$499-17%
$599
Performance per Dollar
9.3
44.9+383%
Codename
GF110
AD104
Release
November 9 2010
April 12 2023
Ranking
#458
#32