When we first got word of AMD’s RX 580 launch, like many, we held out at the possibility of some true next-generation technology by way of the long awaited AMD Vega. Sadly, this did not come to pass and instead, with RX 580, we’re faced with a slight modification to current Polaris architecture. For the true gamer and tech enthusiast this comes as a disappointment, but looking on the bright-side, we’ve seen some impressive performance figures in today’s review.

PowerColor’s Red Devil Golden Sample RX 580 is an excellent showcase of how the new 500-series can deliver an effective rival to NVIDIA’s mid-range GTX 1060 (and in some cases even GTX 1070). Our Golden Sample card handled DX12 games with ease and even proved an impressive level of prowess at 1440p and 4K resolutions. The Vulkan tests in Doom revealed how capable AMD’s graphics cards are at coping with this API and demonstrating significant favour for the red team. Against the RX 480, the RX 580 is certainly more of a worthy competitor to NVIDIA’s offerings – however if you already own an RX 480, users are likely to experience only marginal advantages by investing in an RX 580. The target audience for this graphics card is more or less those system builders who have skipped a generation and are still using a product which is 2-3 years old (AMD 300 series or NVIDIA 800 series).

Taking the actual design of the Golden Sample, the cooler which PowerColor has engineered is excellent. The build quality is top-notch and a thick metal backplate further emphasises how solid this graphics card is. In-game, PowerColor’s heatsink presents us with a low-noise, low-temperature solution and one which avoids the brazen RGB lighting which many brands are currently indulging in.


While the Golden Sample may be short in length – allowing for good computer chassis compatibility, it is quite a wide card (130mm) and may present some issues if you do have a case which is particularly narrow. The cooler on the Golden Sample is somewhat different to the standard Red Devil and it bears a slightly taller heatsink – as a result this will extend out across the motherboard, meaning the card will consume 2.5 slots in total.

Another factor to be aware of is the power consumption – RX 580 draws more power than the RX 480 and requires a 600W PSU to safe-guard stability.

PowerColor’s Golden Sample is currently on preorder at a cost of £269 GBP / $269 USD, making it a good value for money graphics card and a good choice if you’re currently weighing up whether to opt for NVIDIA’s GTX 1060 or an RX 580. This particular card provides 3 years warranty which should help to sweeten the deal.

AMD’s new RX 580 is a great choice for gamers wanting an alternative to the GTX 1060/1070 and PowerColor’s Golden Sample can be regarded as a triumph so far as gaming performance and thermals are concerned!




Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.