AMD Radeon RX 6600 vs. Intel Arc B580
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The AMD Radeon RX 6600 burst onto the scene in October 2021, offering gamers a compelling 1080p gaming experience at a competitive price. Built on the RDNA 2 architecture, this card packed 8GB of GDDR6 memory, a 128-bit memory bus, and support for key technologies like FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). At the time, it quickly became a fan favorite, often touted as one of the best budget-friendly options for smooth, high-refresh-rate gaming. But the landscape of PC hardware is ever-shifting. Fast forward to 2024, and Intel has entered the dedicated graphics card arena with its Arc series, most notably the B580. This arrival prompts a critical question: in the face of new competition, does the RX 6600 still hold its crown, or has a new budget king emerged? We’ve put both cards through their paces in a wide range of titles to find out.
Specifications Comparison
| Specification | Intel Arc B580 | RX 6600 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Xe2 | RDNA 2 |
| Foundry | TSMC | TSMC |
| Process Size | 5 nm | 7 nm |
| Transistors | 19,600 million | 11,060 million |
| Base Clock | 2670 MHz | 1626 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2850MHz | 2491 MHz |
| Memory Size | 12 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 192 bit | 128 bit |
| Bandwidth | 456.0 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |
| TDP | 190 W | 132 W |
| Shading Units | 2560 | 1792 |
| RT Cores | 20 | 28 |
| Release Date | Dec 12th, 2024 | Oct 13th, 2021 |
| Launch Price | 249 USD | 329 USD |
A closer look at the specifications reveals several key differences between the Intel Arc B580 and the AMD Radeon RX 6600. The B580 is built on a more advanced 5nm process compared to the RX 6600’s 7nm process, allowing for a higher transistor count (19.6 billion vs. 11.06 billion) within a smaller die size. The B580 also benefits from a much higher memory bandwidth (456 GB/s vs. 224 GB/s) and a larger 12GB GDDR6 VRAM with a wider 192-bit memory bus as compared to the RX 6600’s 8GB VRAM with 128-bit memory bus. The B580 has a higher TDP (190W) compared to the RX 6600 (132W) which means that it will generate more heat as it sips more power.
Benchmarks
We’ve put both the AMD Radeon RX 6600 and the Intel Arc B580 through a rigorous testing suite, spanning a diverse selection of modern games to provide a comprehensive performance overview. Our focus here is a direct comparison between these two cards, as they both target the budget-conscious gamer. The results paint a clear picture: the Intel Arc B580 consistently outperforms the RX 6600 across the board.
Looking at the overall geometric mean of our benchmarks across eight different games, the difference is significant. At 1080p, the B580 achieves an average FPS of 64, while the RX 6600 trails behind with an average of 48 FPS. This represents a substantial performance uplift in favor of the B580. The 1% low results, which indicate the minimum frame rates experienced during gameplay (and are crucial for a smooth experience), further reinforce this advantage. The B580 manages 50 FPS in the 1% lows at 1080p, while the RX 6600 only reaches 38 FPS, showing that the B580 provides a much more consistent and stable gaming experience.
The performance gap remains evident at 1440p as well. The B580 averages 47 FPS, while the RX 6600 sits at 32 FPS. The 1% low results also reflect a similar trend, with the B580 achieving 37 FPS compared to the RX 6600’s 23 FPS. This data clearly demonstrates that the Intel Arc B580 offers a superior gaming experience at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions.
We also conducted limited testing with ray tracing enabled in two selected titles. We want to emphasize that at this price point, ray tracing is generally not a primary focus, as it can significantly impact frame rates, even on more powerful hardware. For a truly enjoyable ray tracing experience, a higher-tier card, such as the RTX 4070 or above, is typically recommended. However, we included these tests to provide a comparative look at the ray tracing capabilities of these budget-oriented cards.
In these ray tracing tests, the performance gap is not that big, as Intel Arc B580 achieves 44 FPS average at 1080p with ray tracing enabled compared to the RX 6600’s 40 FPS. The 1% lows were 35 FPS for the B580 and 33 FPS for the RX 6600. At 1440p the B580 managed 37 FPS average and 27 FPS in the 1% lows, while the RX 6600 achieved 31 FPS average and 22 FPS in the 1% lows. It’s also worth noting that Nvidia still holds the crown for the best ray tracing implementation and performance in the current market.
Build Quality and Design
Build quality and design can vary depending on the specific manufacturer’s implementation of the RX 6600. Some models feature more robust cooling solutions and higher-quality components than others. Similarly, the build quality and design of the Intel Arc B580 will depend on the specific card manufacturer.
Conclusion
Our testing has revealed a clear performance difference between the AMD Radeon RX 6600 and the Intel Arc B580. Across a wide range of games, the B580 consistently delivered higher frame rates at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions, including tests with ray tracing enabled. The B580 offers a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience.
While the RX 6600 can often be found for around $200 these days, the Intel Arc B580 typically retails for around $270. While there’s a price difference of $70, we believe the extra investment is well worth it. The B580 not only delivers significantly better performance across our benchmarks but also comes equipped with 12GB of VRAM compared to the RX 6600’s 8GB. This extra VRAM provides a future-proofing advantage, especially as game demands continue to increase.
Given its superior performance, larger VRAM capacity, and overall value proposition, the Intel Arc B580 has emerged as the new champion in the budget graphics card market, effectively dethroning the RX 6600.
Intel Arc B580 Review -
December 31, 2024 @ 8:34 am
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