Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Which is the best budget gaming GPU?

The Nvidia RTX 4060 8 GB and the Intel Arc B580 12 GB are some of the hottest recommendations for entry-level 1080p and 1440p gaming. Intel's newly launched Battlemage architecture has taken the market by storm with its superior price-to-performance ratios. Team Blue is offering extra rendering potential at a lower cost, which has put it on gamers' radars.

In this article, we compared the Intel and Nvidia GPUs to help you make an informed decision. We have compared all aspects from specs lists to performance in the latest titles.

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The Intel Arc B580 and Nvidia RTX 4060 are some of the best gaming GPUs in the market

The Nvidia RTX 4060 is a powerful 1080p gaming GPU (Image via Amazon)

Before looking at the performance differences, let's dissect the spec sheets of the two GPUs to get a finer idea of what to expect from the two cards. This would give us a look into what the cards pack under their hoods.

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Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Specs comparison

The B580 and the RTX 4060 are both packed with rendering hardware. The newer Intel rendering GPU is based on the Battlemage architecture, which features the Xe2 cores. This brings added rendering capabilities to the Team Blue graphics cards.

The 4060 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, the latest from Team Green, which is about two years old now. Nvidia has targeted massive improvements in power efficiency and performance per dollar with this generation. DLSS performance also had a massive boost with newer technologies like ray reconstruction and frame generation. Intel doesn't have frame generation yet, which gives the 4060 an upper hand.

Here are the detailed specs of the two graphics cards:

Parameter	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB	Intel Arc B580 12 GB
Graphics Processor	AD107	BMG-G21 w/ 20 Xe2 Cores
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Xe-HPG Alchemist
CUDA / Xe Cores	3072 CUDA Cores	2560 Xe Cores
Memory	8 GB GDDR6	12 GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width	128-bit	192-bit
Memory Bandwidth	272 GB/s (with L2 cache optimization)	~448 GB/s
Max. Boost Speed	2,460 MHz	2,800 MHz
Ray Tracing Cores	24	20 (Ray-Tracing Units)
Tensor / AI Units	3rd Gen Tensor Cores	AI Acceleration Units
TDP	115 W	190 W
Power Connector	8-pin PCIe	8-pin PCIe
PCIe Version	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Performance (1080p)	Excellent for high-refresh gaming	Very good with ray tracing
DLSS / XeSS Support	DLSS 3.0	XeSS
Price (MSRP)	$299	$249
Driver Optimization	Excellent, mature drivers	Improving but not fully optimized
Market Position	Mid-range, gaming-focused	Budget-friendly, high VRAM option

Both GPUs are packed with specs for their price points. However, you can save $50 with the Intel offering, making it a lucrative choice for gamers on a tight budget.

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Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Performance comparison

The ASRock B580 12 GB Challenger OC is an overclocked SKU of the GPU (Image via LDLC)

The performance difference between GPUs seals the deal for most gamers. At the entry level, even 1% better performance is revered because it future-proofs the card for a few more months.

Below is a detailed comparison of the framerates in some of the latest and most demanding video games. We sourced these numbers from the YouTube channel TheSpyHood which tested the GPUs with the latest Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Game Title	Resolution	RTX 4060 (FPS)	Arc B580 (FPS)
Resident Evil 4	1080p	92	88 (-4.35%)
	1440p	71	68 (-4.23%)
Dying Light 2	1080p	90	85 (-5.56%)
	1440p	62	55 (-11.29%)
The Last of Us	1080p	52	51 (-1.92%)
	1440p	33	30 (-9.09%)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III	1080p	90	87 (-3.33%)
	1440p	70	67 (-4.29%)
Hitman III	1080p	108	111 (+2.78%)
	1440p	80	76 (-5.00%)
Forza Horizon 5	1080p	90	88 (-2.22%)
	1440p	75	72 (-4.00%)
Cyberpunk 2077	1080p	78	71 (-8.97%)
	1440p	53	47 (-11.32%)
Ghost of Tsushima	1080p	$80	85 (+6.25%)
	1440p	65	70 (+7.69%)
Horizon Forbidden West	1080p	70	75 (+7.14%)
	1440p	55	60 (+9.09%)
God of War	1080p	63	61 (-3.17%)
	1440p	43	39 (-9.30%)

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Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Final verdict

The Arc B580 is a promising video card but the RTX 4060 pulls out higher framerates (Image via ASRock)

The B580, on average, is about 2.75% slower than the costlier RTX 4060. While the Intel card manages up to 11% fewer frames in some games, it has beaten the Nvidia GPU in several others. This makes it a fierce competitor, especially given that the card is about $50 cheaper.

However, the Nvidia GPU brings support for Nvidia DLSS 3 with frame generation and more stable drivers, which is a strong selling point for those looking to get peace of mind with their purchase.

We recommend the Arc B580 confidently to anyone looking to maximize performance per dollar. However, you might have to get a better power supply given the card's higher power requirements.