Released in 2017, the AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card remains a popular choice for budget-conscious gamers and cryptocurrency miners. Powered by AMD‘s Polaris architecture, the RX 580 offers strong 1080p gaming performance at an affordable price point.
However, not all RX 580 owners have had a flawless experience. The card has been the subject of numerous user complaints over its lifespan. In this guide, we will analyze the eight most common grievances with the RX 580 reported on forums and in customer reviews.
For each issue, we will diagnose likely causes and suggest troubleshooting tips to resolve problems. We‘ll also look at alternative graphics card options that avoid these pitfalls. Let‘s dive in!
1. High Operating Temperatures
Overheating is perhaps the most prevalent complaint about Radeon RX 580 cards from owners. This manifests as thermal throttling, where the GPU clock speed is reduced to control temperatures. Throttling hampers gaming performance substantially.
According to testing, the reference RX 580 model from AMD saw junction temperatures up to 87°C when gaming. More aggressive variants like the Asus Dual OC peaked at 89°C.
The root cause is inadequate cooling combined with high power draw. The RX 580 has 232W TDP yet relies on a simple blower-style cooler. More advanced cooling solutions found on pricier cards are required to effectively dissipate heat.
Fortunately, users can mitigate throttling by improving case airflow, undervolting, or upgrading the cooler. Liquid AIO coolers are particularly effective for taming RX 580 temperatures.
2. Persistent Forced HDR Mode
Another common complaint stems from incorrect High Dynamic Range (HDR) behavior. Specifically, Windows forcibly enables HDR even when it is disabled in display settings or games. This leads to blown out, oversaturated visuals.
The issue appears tied to improper driver communication between the RX 580, display, and Windows OS. It primarily occurs after updating GPU drivers or OS patches.
Users can resolve the problem by toggling Windows HDR, rolling back drivers, changing cables, or adjusting monitor OSD settings. It‘s a finicky glitch that keeps reappearing after updates however.
3. High Power Consumption
Despite using a 14nm node, the Radeon RX 580 is power hungry, with a board power rating ranging 185W-235W. This outpaces the roughly 120W draw of competing Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB cards by a significant margin.
Higher power requirements lead to increased fan noise, thermals, and electricity costs. It also forces overprovisioning of PSU wattage to avoid shutdowns from peak power spikes.
The problem lies with AMD‘s architectural decisions with Polaris–namely high clock speeds paired with suboptimal efficiency. Undervolting and capping FPS can help curtail unnecessary power usage.
4. Minimal Uplift Over RX 570
On paper, the RX 580 seems a major upgrade over the RX 570, with core clocks up to 1340MHz from 1244MHz. However, due to power limits, real-world gaming clocks are nearly identical at 1270MHz.
Benchmarks confirm marginal 4-5% performance gains. Contrast this versus the 25%+ jump expected from a new generation card.
This has led many buyers to feel short-changed spending up to $50 more for the RX 580 over RX 570 cards with negligible impact. The small performance delta does not justify the pricing gap.
While true, savvy users can unlock greater value from the RX 580 via overclocking, raising real-world gaming clocks closer to 1400MHz for a more appreciable 10%+ speed bump.
5. Black Screen Crashes
Myriad users have reported intermittent black screen crashes on Radeon RX 580 graphics cards during gaming or intense GPU loads. The screen suddenly goes black, forcing a hard restart.
The problem has been narrowed down to two triggers – faulty drivers and thermals. AMD‘s early RX 580 drivers were plagued by stability issues leading to black screens. Updating drivers often resolves this.
However, overheating can also cause abrupt black screens. RX 580 coolers may not dissipate heat sufficiently during prolonged gaming sessions, eventually forcing a crash. This requires improving case cooling.
6. Compatibility Woes
As a mature card, the Radeon RX 580 generally works trouble-free with modern hardware. However, it still faces compatibility hiccups with outdated components.
Namely, pairing the RX 580 with older motherboards often leads to low performance or failed POST. This typically occurs on boards with dated chipsets or BIOS. Upgrading BIOS/firmware alleviates these conflicts.
Users also report adverse interactions from Windows updates. Updated OS builds and forced driver overlays can bork performance until they are rolled back or patched.
Overall though, compatibility issues are relatively rare on current-generation hardware. They primarily affect those reusing older platforms.
7. Noisy Cooling Fans
The reference blower-style RX 580 cooler is notoriously loud and high-pitched under load. Custom cards with axial fans alleviate this somewhat but also ramp up speeds dramatically to maintain temperatures.
Reviews measured 50 dBA noise on open-air models when gaming. Your graphics card should not be louder than your CPU or case fans.
The impetus here is inadequate cooling requiring fans to spin faster to avoid thermal limits. Improving case airflow and adjusting fan curves help reduce noise. Or step up to liquid cooling solutions for virtually silent operation.
8. Sporadic System Crashes
Rounding out user gripes are reports of sporadic system lockups and crashes with Radeon RX 580 cards installed. This ranges from game freezes and display driver timeouts to hard locks requiring power cycles.
Research indicates the following potential triggers for stability issues:
- Hardware: Faulty RX 580 units, unstable overclocks, insufficient PSU power
- Software: Buggy GPU drivers, Windows updates, virus infections
- Thermals: Overheating from poor cooler or airflow
Stability testing the card at stock and monitoring temperatures helps isolate the failure point. Software and viruses can also be ruled out by upgrading drivers and scanning for infections. If all else fails, try underclocking or RMA the card.
Alternatives to the Radeon RX 580
Given these myriad technical quirks and flaws with the RX 580, what alternatives should buyers consider that avoid these drawbacks? Here are our top recommendations in the entry and mid-range markets:
Entry-Level
- Nvidia GTX 1650 Super: Efficient 75W TDP, DLSS/RTX support
- AMD Radeon RX 6400: Efficient 53W RDNA2 architecture (new!)
Mid-Range
- Nvidia RTX 3050: Solid performance, DLSS, more VRAM
- AMD RX 6600: Faster, more efficient RDNA2 architecture
- Nvidia RTX 3060: 1440p gaming, DLSS, excellent efficiency
The Verdict
So should you still purchase a Radeon RX 580 graphics card in 2023 despite these problems? From a pure value standpoint – yes, conditionally.
The RX 580 still delivers playable framerates in modern titles at 1080p medium settings. Sub-$150 pricing also makes it easy on wallets. If you set expectations accordingly and don‘t mind some tweaking, it remains a competent performer.
However, for a hassle-free plug-and-play experience, upgraded mainstream cards like the RTX 3050 or RX 6600 are superior long-term options that justify their premiums. Their architectural refinements solve many of the RX 580‘s drawbacks while offering better efficiency and speed for current games. Either is a recommended step up for disgruntled RX 580 owners.
So in summary – the RX 580 is a high-maintenance card requiring elbow grease to overcome technical shortcomings. But it still gets the job done for budget-constrained buyers. More patient gamers are better off putting funds toward modern midrange offerings to avoid the 580‘s quirks while gaining performance. Consider productively channeling any frustrations toward an upgraded replacement instead!
Did you own a troublesome Radeon RX 580 graphics card? Or are you considering purchasing one? Share your thoughts and experiences below!
