You must have heard or have used the Radeon Pro 580x or the Vega 48 version, most popular among gamers. Here is an honest comparison between the two versions.

Introduction

Apple products are known for style. Their superior quality, aesthetic and ergonometric design, and ever smooth performance all speak of luxury at its finest. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

IOS is the prime factor that makes apple a top choice for video editors and filmmakers.

So if you are considering buying an iMac, you may be thinking, which GPU to buy?

Key Specifications

The choice between the Radeon pro 580x and Vega 48 has sparked a great debate across the globe. Let’s have a look at the key specs of each:

Radeon Pro 580x

  • 5700 million transistors
  • Efficient clock speeds 1257 MHz – 1340 MHz
  • The thermal design point (TDP) is 185 watts only
  • 1 HD media interface and three display ports
  • Memory generation is GDDR5

Radeon Pro Vega 48

  • Transistors 12500 million
  • Core clock speed 1200 MHz
  • Boost clock 1300 MHz
  • Enriched textures: 249.6
  • TDP 12500 million watts
  • Memory generation is HBM2

Radeon Pro Vega 48 and Radeon 580x: A Comparison

  1. AMD Radeon Pro 580x is older than the vega 48. (2017 vs. 2019)
  2. The Radeon Pro 580x comes with 8GB of GDDR5 memory vs. 8GB HMB2.
  3. The Radeon Pro Vega 48 gives about 50% higher performance than the Radeon 580x 2017. It even scores 30-40% more than the 580x 2019 iMac.
  4. Based on the performance on Passmark benchmark tests, Radeon Pro Vega48 scores better than 580x.
  5. Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 1.5 times faster based on various other game benchmark tests.
  6. Radeon 580x costs $671 compared to Radeon Pro Vega 48, which is $5999.

What Do you Want the 2019 iMAC for?

A better way to decide which GPU to go for is to consider your core usage. See if you need it for primary use, heavy video editing, games, or something else.

Video Editing

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 offers more value but comes with a heavy price tag. If you are into video editing, content creation, or stream a lot of media, it will undoubtedly give you better performance, i.e., about 30-40% higher than the Radeon Pro 580x.

Gaming

Radeon 580x is quite good. Especially if you are an occasional gamer, you don’t need to go all-in for Radeon Pro Vega 48; that’s too much money for the value.

Game Development

For game developers, the Vega 48 is a win. It would be best if you had good graphic support and high-definition streaming for editing when graphics-intensive games were run on both GPUs, Vega 48 outputs very high-resolution textures.

For instance, GPU intensive games like ‘Aztec Ruins’ were run on both systems. Vega 48 gave a 33% faster performance, i.e., higher frames per second (FPS).

Lightroom Use

For basic applications – most miniature graphic-intensive tools – such as the basic features of photoshop, for instance, you don’t need a highly efficient upgrade.

The AMD Radeon Pro 580x will do just great. Instead of investing in the Vega 48, you can buy an SSD card for your iMac and upgrade the ram for a smooth experience.

Is Radeon Pro 580x Good for Gaming?

Radeon pro 580x will give you the HD streaming and graphics that you need for playing games. Though the Vega 48 gives a better output, it mainly does better for game development not, gaming.

Alternatively

Another option you can explore is getting an upgrade or coupling the standard Radeon Pro 580x with, say, an external GPU box via a thunderbolt port. However, the limitation is that the bandwidth speed is significantly slower than the internal GPUs.

Keep in mind; the installation cost will cross about $500.

Verdict

While AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 gives you more room for game development, the Radeon Pro 580x is a better choice for primary users.

As benchmarks reveal in general usage, either video card will give you similar results. Vega 48 is not worth the price for photoshop, gaming, etc.

One may benefit more if they can add more ram or spend on the i9 processor.

Increasing the RAM and installing an SSD will boost the system’s performance, and you will see your programs will run faster without overloading the graphics card or ram.

For professional film-making, video editing, or developing games, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is your best bet. You will enjoy improved textures and graphics and faster performance. All that you need to meet the expectations for advanced gaming or professional editing.