If you're looking to upgrade your PC's GPU this generation and you don't feel like spending a few thousand on an Nvidia RTX 5090, you've got a few options. The RTX 5080 is a little cheaper, but still expensive. AMD's Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT, but both of AMD's high-end graphics cards often retail for $700 or more. The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti is more affordable than the RTX 5080, but you're generally better off going for either AMD card for the price, and the RTX 5070 was almost immediately panned by reviewers as its barely an upgrade over the RTX 4070.

When it comes to the $500 and under range of GPUs, you've got the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060, the AMD Radeon 9060 XT, and Intel Arc B580. While we've already discussed the merits of the Radeon 9060 XT over the RTX 5060, we didn't really factor Intel into the mix. Luckily, I've got my hands on the Intel Arc B580 (Limited Edition), and I've got the MSI RTX 5060 Ti Ventus 2X (16GB) handy for some comparison testing. So, of the two, which is more worth your hard-earned cash?

Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti: Pure Silicon Performance

In a pure power head-to-head, which GPU reigns supreme?

Alright, neither of these GPUs is winning in a competition against the top-end GPUs from AMD or Nvidia. But between the Intel Arc B580 and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, there is a clear winner in terms of pure silicon performance power.

To test both GPUs, I used the exact same desktop tower, with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K on an Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Pro motherboard with 32GB of Trident Z5 RAM, an MSI MAG A1000GS PSU, and an Asus ProArt LC360 cooler. I benchmarked both GPUs on the various 3DMark benchmarks and four games at the highest graphics settings on 1080p and 1440p, with DLSS or XeSS disabled.

In terms of the pure silicon benchmarking, the 16GB of VRAM on the RTX 5060 Ti helped give it an edge over the 12GB Intel Arc B580. But that lead isn't as big as you might think, thanks to the RTX 5060 Ti's smaller, 128-bit memory bus. The B580 has a larger 192-bit bus width, which can help it get some extra leverage compared to the RTX 5060 Ti.

But in terms of raw power, the RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) is the more powerful GPU, though the 8GB version of the RTX 5060 Ti may not be.

Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti: Software support

DLSS vs XeSS is a huge consideration.

Not all super sampling tech is created equal. To see how much of an impact DLSS and XeSS have on both cards, I re-ran most of the game benchmarks, this time with DLSS and XeSS enabled, both with frame-generation and without, on High graphics settings at 1080p and 1400p. Crysis Remastered's benchmarking tool doesn't allow for DLSS or frame generation settings, so I skipped out on it for this benchmarking round.

As you might expect, the software support for Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) does a lot of heavy lifting on that GPU, and its got a frankly ridiculous lead on the Arc B580, especially where frame generation is concerned. The B580 does support multi-frame generation, but not all games support Intel's XeSS frame gen just yet, so I could only test frame generation equally on both GPUs with Cyberpunk 2077, which gives Nvidia an 85% lead. Granted, both graphics cards beat the minimum playability threshold for Cyberpunk, even at Ultra graphics settings.

Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti: Pricing

Which GPU is the better bargain?

While some folks will prefer to get the most powerful GPU no matter the cost, those folks have already selected the Nvidia RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 as their money-pit of choice. For gamers on a tighter budget, you've got to factor the power to price ratio.

On pure suggested MSRP, the Intel Arc B580 costs $249, while the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti costs $429. Unfortunately, given the current GPU market, prices for both cards tend to fluctuate based on availability. The Intel Arc B580 tends to average $400, while the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) tends to average about $520. So even with market fluctuations, the Arc B580 is a better deal in terms of pure cash.

At MSRP, the Intel Arc B580 is a better bargain by far, but it is a less powerful GPU just based on pure specs. It only has 12GB of VRAM compared to the RTX 5060 Ti's 16GB. The 8GB variant of the RTX 5060 Ti is much more affordable, priced at $379, but that only makes the Arc B580 a better choice since it has more VRAM and is still cheaper.

But if you want to optimize performance to price, well. Then things get a little less straightforward. Depending on what the GPU market is looking like at any given time, the Arc B580 can either be a great deal or it can be overpriced. Basically, if the Arc B580 is available under $400, go for it. But if its pricier than that, you may as well opt for the RTX 5060 Ti.

Bottom line

Which GPU should you buy?

Look. Some folks are going to have an opinion based on brand loyalty. And that's fine. Others will weigh price more heavily than performance, and others will make a choice based on software support. Nvidia has years of DLSS development advantage over Intel's nascent Arc GPU platform.

Based on performance, you should go with the RTX 5060Ti. Based on software, you could go either way though the RTX has an edge. Based on price, you should go with the Intel Arc B580. Or opt for the AMD Radeon 9060 XT. If you're weighing all things, the Arc B580 is often the better bargain but it does come with a few sacrifices.