by Which CPU bottleneck the RX 580? Let’s find out
Updated: Jan 31, 2023 11:03 a.m.
AMD’s RX 580 GPU was released in 2017, a high-end option in the RX 500 line. While the GPU offered great performance at the time, it lost its competitive edge over time.
Now read: Best processor for RX 580
Today, the RX 580 is a decent budget option for 1080p, 60FPS gaming at medium to high settings, but that’s about it. You can’t expect the game to be at 1440p, which is twice as taxing on GPU resources as 1080p.
Those looking to build a PC on a budget, perhaps with used components, will likely find the RX 580 a suitable option. Since price efficiency is the only remaining reason to buy this board today, we need to avoid bottlenecks by pairing it with a suitable processor.
Today, we’re going to find out what the RX 580 CPU bottlenecks are, and I’ll give you my recommendations for a compatible setup.
01
Top CPU to avoid bottlenecks in the RX 580
Ryzen 3 3100
AMD Ryzen 3 3100
RX 580 Specifications
But, first of all, let’s briefly review the specs of the RX 580.
- Stream processors: 2,304
- Core base clock: 1257 MHz
- Boost clock: 1340 MHz
- Memory clock: 2000 MHz / 8Gbps
- Memory size: 8 GB
- Memory Type: GDDR5
- Power Consumption: 185W
- Recommended power supply: 500W
If you’re familiar with GPUs, you’ve probably noticed that these specs are somewhat lacking. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here other than the relatively high power consumption for a card of its caliber.
Which CPU bottleneck an RX 580?
If you plan to build a computer with an RX 580, I recommend pairing it with a modern entry-level CPU to a mid-range CPU. The GPU will work great on any gaming CPU released in the last few years.
If you’re looking for the cheapest processor that will run the RX 580 without a bottleneck, you might want to go with an i3 processor.
The intel i3-10100F will serve you well. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, which is well below average, but sufficient for 1080p gaming. It also has decent clock speeds of 4 GHz.
If you prefer an AMD CPU, go with the Ryzen 3 3100. It has similar specs to the Intel i3-10100F above.
01
Top CPU to avoid bottlenecks in the RX 580
Ryzen 3 3100
AMD Ryzen 3 3100
Choosing a processor weaker than both will result in a bottleneck.
Let’s also talk about the most powerful processors, because it doesn’t really make sense to associate an RX 580 with a very powerful processor either. You would end up with a GPU bottleneck. I recommend pairing the RX 580 with nothing stronger than a Ryzen 5 3600 or an Intel i5-10600K.
If you’re planning on getting a more powerful CPU than both, you’ll end up with a significant bottleneck and might want to get a better GPU than the RX 580 for a better match.
Why is a bottleneck a problem?
In a gaming PC, the CPU and GPU work together to produce the images you see on your screen. But the fact is, your computer can only produce images as fast as the slower of the two microprocessors allows.
So, for example, if you pair a weak RX 580 with a much more powerful i7-13700K, you’ll only get as many frames as the RX 580 can deliver, even if you have a top-notch CPU. The reverse is also true.
This is why it is preferable to obtain components with identical performance. This minimizes the bottleneck and makes your build more efficient.
