I previously considered switching from my GTX 1080 to a Radeon 9060, but I recently found the Intel Arc B580 available for about €277. Would it be a worthwhile upgrade, or would I be better off keeping the GTX 1080 and saving for a stronger graphics card? I also want to know how important my CPU, motherboard, RAM, and Resizable BAR support are for the B580.
3 Answers
The B580 can be a worthwhile upgrade, but Resizable BAR is basically essential. Without it, Intel Arc cards can lose a lot of performance. Check whether your motherboard and CPU support ReBAR before buying, especially if the system is older or uses a budget platform.
Depending on the games and the rest of your system, the performance difference may be fairly small. The GTX 1080 is still usable, so I’d only make the switch if you have a modern CPU and confirmed ReBAR support. Otherwise, keeping the 1080 and waiting for a more substantial upgrade makes more sense.
It probably won’t be a huge performance jump in every game. The B580 depends heavily on having a reasonably modern CPU, RAM setup, and motherboard. If your processor is around the same age as your GTX 1080, the upgrade could end up being smaller than expected—or even slower in some situations. At €277, I’d consider saving longer or looking for a stronger used card instead.
Some older boards can gain ReBAR support after a BIOS update, but it isn’t guaranteed. If the system predates the B450 era or has limited BIOS support, I’d be very cautious.